The month's coffee subscription comes from El Horno farm in El Salvador. And Rave's relationship with El Horno is long-standing - and this coffee also appears as a component in our Signature Blend.
The coffee has been consistently sweet, balanced and clean tasting and is therefore been the natural choice for pairing with other coffees. But this coffee also deserves a moment in the spotlight. Roasted as a single origin coffee, the nuttiness and sweet stewed fruit flavour really shines through and makes for a great espresso.
With milk all this sweetness becomes pudding like, think dark chocolate mousse and toasted hazelnuts. El Horno is named for the natural rock formation that Jose Gutierrez, the producer, discovered when he first purchased the farm. The coffee grown here is protected by native shade trees, and a six month dry season helps concentrate the natural sugars of the coffee cherries.
Gutierrez also uses organic fertilisers, which not only assists the coffee trees in their growth and resistance to pests, but also protects the local water systems from harsh chemicals. The farm itself neighbours a natural protected forest reserve, which Gutierrez feels passionately protective over.
As always, we'd love to know what you think of this month's coffee. If you like the idea of a lighter roasted coffee or just want to try something different. Check out the video for Discovery Coffee as well.
January's Discovery subscription coffee is from the Kilimbi Washing station in Rwanda. It is unusual to purchase Rwandan specialty coffee from single farms, and instead most smallholders deliver their picked coffee cherries direct to local mills or washing stations.
Kilimbi was one of the first washing stations in Rwanda to be granted approval to produce natural and honey processed coffees. The high altitude of the washing station allows for good sun exposure and cool breezes for consistent drying.
The term honey processing can refer to a range of techniques that covers everything between fully washed coffees and those that are dried as whole cherries. This particular honey process removes the cherry skin, but leaves or the fruit pulp and mucilage intact. This is the sticky layer that clings to the seed inside.
These are carefully sorted to avoid any over fermentation, and the result is exceptionally sweet. Fruit forward tasting and clean tasting notes for this coffee are raisin, honeysuckle and brown sugar, particularly sweet descriptors for an exceptionally sweet tasting coffee.
As always, have fun with brewing and do let us know how you get on. If fruity coffees don't sound like quite your thing, you can check out the video for our traditional subscription, and these coffees tend to be more chocolaty, nutty, and full bodied.