KIKAFE

A single-origin natural from Sítio Moinho de Ouro in the Mantiqueira de Minas area of Sul de Minas, at ~1,100 m. Producer Mair Sebastião Hieda grew up on a coffee farm in Paraná; after severe frosts destroyed the family's operation he spent more than three decades away before returning to reclaim family land in Minas Gerais. He works with APAS (Associação dos Produtores do Alto da Serra), a local association founded in 2006 that gained Fairtrade certification in 2013 and launched APASCOFFEE in 2019 to market specialty lots. Only ripe cherries are hand-picked and dried in thin layers on patios for about 17 days with regular turning, giving a fruity, stone-fruit sweetness and a delicate creaminess. Roasted for espresso. Source: shop.kikafe.cz.

Preserves, gingerbread, hazelnut. Source: shop.kikafe.cz

A semi-washed lot supplied through the Cooxupé cooperative from Minas Gerais, grown at ~1,110 m. It was a key component of KIKAFE's Katrin espresso blend, and the latest harvest was clean and full enough to offer on its own — a bold, full-bodied cup with pronounced dark chocolate and hazelnut. Built for espresso or moka pot. Source: shop.kikafe.cz.

Dark chocolate, hazelnut. Source: shop.kikafe.cz

A washed Red Bourbon from Mikuba Hill in Kayanza, north-west Burundi, at 1,900–2,100 m. About 674 smallholders — each tending roughly 170 trees — deliver cherry to Long Miles Coffee's Heza washing station, hand-sorted and carefully graded before pulping, tank fermentation, washing and slow drying on raised beds. Harvest runs March to mid-July. The hills face irregular rain and erosion, and growers work on terracing, reforestation and mulching; Long Miles also runs farmer-training and women's-participation programmes. Roasted for filter but espresso-friendly — clean and balanced, with nashi pear, gooseberry and vanilla cream. Source: shop.kikafe.cz.

Nashi pear, gooseberry, vanilla cream. Source: shop.kikafe.cz

A natural-processed Villalobos from the Don Oscar farm in the well-known Tarrazú region, grown at ~1,900 m where the cool climate slows cherry ripening and builds sweetness. Natural processing keeps an intense fruity sweetness and full body — pronounced raspberry, blackberry and ripe cherry with a juicy character and a long, clean finish. An omni roast that works on both filter and modern espresso. Source: shop.kikafe.cz.

Raspberry, blackberry, ripe cherry. Source: shop.kikafe.cz

A black-honey Catuaí from Carlos Montero, one of Costa Rica's most accomplished growers, farmed on the slopes of La Pastora in Tarrazú at ~2,200 m. His father, Eli, was a co-founder of the CoopeDota cooperative; after years working in California and New Jersey, Carlos returned to Tarrazú and built his own micro-mill. The farm has two sections, Anfiteatro and Manzanal, planted with 20–25-year-old trees at wide spacing; a warming climate has made these higher elevations viable and let Carlos trial varieties such as Geisha. Red orange, dried pear and a floral honey sweetness. Roasted for espresso, also good as filter. Source: shop.kikafe.cz.

Red orange, dried pear, floral honey. Source: shop.kikafe.cz

A decaffeinated Catuaí from the family farm run by brothers Alejandro and Horacio Solís in Tarrazú, at 1,700–1,850 m — the fourth generation continuing the work of their father, Don Oscar, and managing both growing and processing themselves through coffee-rust and climate pressures while backing local education and public projects. Caffeine is removed by the sugarcane EA method, which uses ethyl acetate derived from sugarcane to bind the caffeine — regarded as one of the gentlest routes, and here it keeps the cup's complexity: dates, dried plum and maple syrup. Roasted for espresso. Source: shop.kikafe.cz.

Dates, dried plum, maple syrup. Source: shop.kikafe.cz

A washed Bourbon microlot from Beneficio Bella Vista near Antigua, at ~1,570 m, overseen by producer and agronomist Luis Pedro Zelaya, whose family has worked in coffee for generations. Ripe cherries are washed-processed in concrete tanks, then dried on concrete patios and African beds within sight of the Agua volcano. Clean and elegant, balanced and sweet with gentle fruit — caramel, orange marmalade and vanilla pudding. Roasted for espresso. Source: shop.kikafe.cz.

Caramel, orange marmalade, vanilla pudding. Source: shop.kikafe.cz

An anaerobic natural from the Walida cooperative on the slopes of Mount Argopuro in Java, at ~1,800 m, led by Ahmad Muhlisin. Whole cherries macerate for 72 hours in sealed stainless-steel tanks, then dry about 25 days on raised beds — berries and tropical fruit, with raspberry, banana and lychee. The cooperative supports around 500 families on organic practices; after a 2018 forest fire it replanted more than 500,000 coffee trees to restore biodiversity and water sources, runs its own school, and pays roughly double the regional average wage. Roasted for filter and espresso. Source: shop.kikafe.cz.

Raspberry, banana, lychee. Source: shop.kikafe.cz

A natural from Graciano Cruz's farm on the slopes of Volcán Barú in Boquete, at 1,800–2,000 m. Of the roughly 160 hectares only about 40 are planted to coffee, with the other 120 left as native forest; all lots are processed on the farm by honey and natural methods and dried on raised African beds, with an emphasis on low-impact processing and constant experimentation. Tropical mango, juicy passion fruit and a milk-chocolate sweetness. Roasted for espresso and filter. Source: shop.kikafe.cz.

Mango, passion fruit, milk chocolate. Source: shop.kikafe.cz

A washed Caturra from Finca Los Cedros, a half-hectare farm of about 2,500 trees planted from 2013 by Elvis Ronal Saavedra Saucedo in Cajamarca, at ~1,900 m. Only ripe cherries are picked, native forest trees are planted for shade and protection, and the coffee ferments 12–18 hours before thorough washing and drying. Part of a microlot programme with farm-level traceability — raisin, caramel and orange peel, with a juicy acidity and creamy texture. Roasted for espresso. Source: shop.kikafe.cz.

Raisin, caramel, orange peel. Source: shop.kikafe.cz