Coffee Knowledge

This is how caffeine is removed from the coffee bean - and it can influence flavour more than you might expect. Methods like Swiss Water, CO₂ and sugarcane aim to keep the good stuff intact while taking the caffeine out. Done well, you’ll barely notice it’s decaf.

This score (out of 100) reflects how a coffee performs in a cupping - a tasting that looks at flavour, balance, clarity and more. Anything over 80 is considered specialty (meaning very high quality). In blends, each component is scored separately (ours are all 80+), though the final blend isn’t always re-cupped.

This is how the coffee bean is removed from the cherry - and it has a big impact on flavour. Washed tends to be clean and bright, natural is often fruitier, and honey sits somewhere in between. It’s where farm meets flavour.

This is the specific type of coffee plant - like apple varieties, each one brings its own flavour, body and character. Some are prized for their sweetness, others for bright acidity or floral notes. It’s a deeper layer of the story, if you’re up for geeking out a bit.

Most of the world’s great coffee comes from Arabica - smooth, sweet, and full of nuance. But there’s more out there: Robusta (bold and punchy), Liberica (funky and floral), and Excelsa (fruity and complex). Less common, but in the right hands, seriously worth exploring.

This is the farm, co-op or individual behind the coffee. Some producers grow, harvest and process everything themselves - others work as part of a local collective. Either way, it’s a name worth knowing. Great coffee always starts with people who care.

Cooler temperatures slow the coffee’s growth, which can lead to more clarity, complexity and brightness in the cup. That usually happens at higher altitudes - but what “high” means depends on the location. So the number only really makes sense in context. If you know, you know.

Zooming in a bit from country level, region tells you more about the local growing conditions and flavour profiles. Some regions have built big reputations - like Yirgacheffe or Huila - but lesser-known spots can be just as exciting. It’s where terroir really starts to shine.