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

From Finca Nogales near Bruselas, Huila, a family farm since about 1940, now run by third-generation Oscar Hernández, whose father Ricaurte won Colombia's Cup of Excellence in 2006. Floated cherries get a 20-second 80 °C dip, then a modified pulper extracts the "mosto" (cherry juice), in which the beans ferment for four days with yeasts cultured from it, before 15 days of sun drying. Dried pineapple, hibiscus and a fresh cranberry lift.

Dried pineapple, hibiscus, cranberry

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 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

From Finca La Cascarilla in El Airo, Espíndola, where third-generation farmer Manuel Efren Jiménez Flores grows mostly Pache (about 60%) with Catuai and Bourbon among bananas, cassava, maize, beans and fruit trees. Moving into specialty with Caravela seven years ago, he experiments with extended fermentations of up to 72 hours using salt; his wife Elvia Rosillo Vicente and their daughters run drying, in a three-stage solar system, and sales.

Despite the shop name, this is a Guji lot: honey-processed at Moplaco's station near Bule Hora from smallholder cherry grown at 2,000–2,200 m, where slow ripening and slow fermentation and drying build sweetness. Moplaco has been led since 2008 by Heleanna Georgalis, who also supports the local school and trains growers in composting, pruning and mulching. Sweet and fruity.

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

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