Scenery

Scenery's seasonally-rotating espresso blend. Source: scenery.coffee

Milenio, an F1 hybrid (Sarchimor × Rume Sudan), picked almost overripe and dried slowly, so it carries plenty of wild fermentation. Scenery roasts it gently to find the tropical fruit under the funk: sweet, sticky and boozy, ending like a dark 'n' stormy. Their second season with Don Senel.

Raspberry liqueur · Ginger cake · Dried pineapple · Cola

A shade-grown washed Catuaí from the Vásquez family's Roble Negro micromill, a late, slow-ripening farm with native forest reserves; Scenery's second harvest with them. Run as single-origin espresso: syrupy, very sweet and moreish, with a Snickers-like nuttiness; apple pie in milk.

Morello cherry · Stewed apple · Caramel · Milk chocolate

The last of Scenery's Megadu special preps: one of two "Yeast Frenzy" lots where only the starter culture changed, this one inoculated with wine yeast. A high-energy, process-forward cup like a sabayon with macerated summer fruit and white chocolate, turning to pét-nat white grape, pear and apricot.

Raspberry · Blackcurrant · Boozy custard · White grape

Picked from a table of honey lots at Mike Mamo's Addis Exporter lab that differed only in hours of post-pulp anoxic fermentation; Scenery chose the 48-hour lot for its electric acidity. Lemongrass and apple-blossom aromatics, very bright and zippy, turning to mango and crisp pear like a young dry Riesling.

Meyer lemon · Granny Smith · White grape · Oolong

Scenery's house espresso, a 50/50 blend (version 16) of a natural Brazil from the Teixeira family and a washed Guatemala from Marvin Carias, both new 25/26 relationships. Thick-bodied, like peanut butter cups, with gentle plum, dried apple and raisin and a butterscotch finish; in milk, a fruit-and-nut bar.

Milk chocolate · Peanut butter · Plum jam · Butterscotch

The heaviest of Scenery's core coffees, roasted with every phase stretched for sugar-browning sweetness and low acidity, aimed at milk drinks. A share of sales goes to the Jerwood Space. Super chocolatey and syrupy with a little dried fruit and process character.

Devil's food cake · Fudge · Sherry-soaked raisin

A yearly staple; this season an AB lot in the "yellow" Kenya style rather than the classic purple. Darjeeling and lemon aromatics, yellow plum, nectarine and white mulberry with a gooseberry tartness, then lime curd, white grape, rosehip and oolong. Third season buying from Gatomboya.

Yellow plum · Nectarine · Gooseberry · Lime curd

A second factory from the Inoi FCS, close to Kaguyu, a new relationship for the 25/26 season. A classic purple Kenya: Ribena-like blackcurrant over a rich, meaty, Costoluto-tomato backbone, getting brighter like rhubarb soda with a hint of rose as it cools.

Blackcurrant · Tomato · Blackberry jam · Hibiscus

SIPRO formed when nine young producers chose to bypass local commodity buyers and sell directly to specialty importers; this field blend represents 29 families across the border from Huehuetenango. A short-run house filter: sweet, comforting dried apple, fig and raisin over milk chocolate, with butterscotch and pear as it cools.

Brown sugar · Milk chocolate · Dried fruit · Butterscotch