Single Origin

12/31/2020 by

ENF | ETHIOPIA URAGA NEJA FEDIL

Fruity Profile | Light roast
Tasting Notes: Lemon, Honey, Chamomile

THE STORY BEHIND THIS COFFEE

FARM

Harvested

Spring 2020

GREEN SELECTION

Nov 2020

ROASTING

3 Jan to 24 Jan 2021

QUALITY CONTROL

1-4 days after roasting

PRODUCTION & SHIPPING

Within 24 hours from roasting

AT YOUR HOME

1-4 days from shipping

IT ALL STARTS AT THE COFFEE FARM

This coffee is a collection from 45 different farmers in the villages surrounding the kebele, or neighborhood, of Tobitu Tuta. Each farmer brought their coffee fruit to the Neja Fadil wet mill to be processed. Neja Fadil (the founder of the eponymously named mill) is extremely involved in all areas of production, and will soon offer agronomy training at the farm level.

Neja Fadil

Close up of coffee cherries

Neja Fadil

Channels for washing coffee

View of Tobitu Tuta kebele

Coffee drying on raised tables

TRACEABILITY

COUNTRY

Ethiopia

WET MILL

Neja Fadil

REGION

Uraga

VARIETAL

Regional Landraces

PROCESSING

Washed

ALTITUDE

2150 masl

DID YOU KNOW

Coffee originated in Ethiopia, which has the most varietal and genetic diversity of any other coffee growing country.

PRICE TRANSPARENCY

$3.86

Price paid by Driftaway (per pound avg. across this months coffees)

$1.40

Fair Trade price per pound

$1.05

Coffee C-Market price per pound

$0.05

Driftaway's World Coffee Research contribution per pound

This coffee travelled 7,091 miles to the Driftaway Coffee roastery in Queens.

Love the coffee? You can share your compliments & tasting observations with the farmers.

SEND FARMER FEEDBACK

WHY DID WE SELECT THIS COFFEE?

It’s only been in the last several years that the farmers in Tobitu Tuta have been growing coffee: also, this is only Neja Fadil’s second harvest season! Distinctive varietals, optimal growing conditions, and detailed attention to producing high quality coffee all make for an exceptional and delicious roast.

AVERAGE CUPPING SCORE

86.50

/100

LEARN MORE ABOUT CUPPING SCORES

86.50

SCAA Cupping Score

25 x 60 kg

Bags purchased

1 year

Length of producer relationship

100% (in 2020)

Transparent coffees purchased

A note from Ian T.

Lead Roaster & Green Coffee Buyer

"We chose this coffee for its delicate floral qualities, and notes of lemon, honey and chamomile. It also has chocolatey base notes that contribute to a rich mouthfeel. It’s only been in the last several years that the farmers in Tobitu Tuta have been growing coffee: also, this is only Neja Fadil’s second harvest season! Distinctive varietals, optimal growing conditions, and detailed attention to producing high quality coffee all make for an exceptional and delicious roast."

READ MORE ABOUT THE SELECTION PROCESS

HOW DID WE ROAST THIS COFFEE?

This coffee is being roasted by Ian T. from 4th January to 24th January in Long Island City, Queens. We typically use the Loring Kestrel roaster for this profile. We have strict guidelines for each of the coffee profiles, and this roast has to pass the development time ratio test as measured in real-time by the roasting software, Cropster. Once it does, it is approved for production.

battlecreek-coffee-roasters-mpGD-ie1jZQ-unsplash

QUALITY CONTROL

We perform Quality Control via a process of coffee tasting called cupping on all of our production roasts once a week from home as per our Covid-19 shelter in place guidelines. Each cupping is conducted by our roasting staff Kieran D. and Ian T. using standard equipment, and is logged by our Q-certified cupper Ian T. All coffees are evaluated on a scoring scale of 0 to 3.

3.0 = exceptional roast - exceeds expectations
2.5 = on par with profile - matches expectations
2.0 = good roast, but 1 or 2 elements could be improved - needs improvement
1.5 or lower = failed - do not ship

PRODUCTION AND SHIPPING

Less than 24 hours after roasting, we bag your coffee in our production facility in Greenpoint, Brooklyn. Our production team is led by Dave and Jill, and supported by a rotating cast of local artists, musicians and independent professionals.

AT YOUR HOME

Brew this coffee with your favorite home brewer and enjoy the taste of incredible coffee! Here are a few tips on how to make the best coffee on each brewer.

Auto drip

Pour over

Iced coffee

French press

Espresso

Aeropress

View other posts about how to make better coffee at home on our blog Coffeecademy.

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12/02/2020 by

UME | UGANDA MT. ELGON GIBUZAALE

Classic Profile | Medium roast
Tasting Notes: Chocolate, Malt, Gingerbread

THE STORY BEHIND THIS COFFEE

FARM

Harvested Winter 2020

GREEN SELECTION

August 2020

ROASTING

Dec 06 to Dec 27 2020

QUALITY CONTROL

1 to 4 days after roasting

PRODUCTION & SHIPPING

Within 24 hours from roasting

AT YOUR HOME

1-4 days from shipping

IT ALL STARTS AT THE COFFEE FARM

This Coffee is from the foothills of Mt.Elgon in Eastern Uganda. Gibuzaale is a micro-region within Buginyanya, which is one of the highest narrow plateaus in the region. Coffee is delivered from small farms to the Gibuzaale Washing Station where day lots are traceable down to the individual farmer. Coffee fruit deliveries range from 3 to 30 KGs. This is no easy task for the farmers, who have to carry it across rugged terrain.

Dried, home processed parchment- resized

TRACEABILITY

COUNTRY

Uganda

PRODUCER

Gibuzaale Washing Station

REGION

Mt. Elgon

VARIETAL

SL-14, SL-28

PROCESSING

Washed

ALTITUDE

1300 - 2200 masl

DID YOU KNOW

Around 80% of coffee grown in Uganda is of the Robusta species. All of the coffee we buy from Uganda is of the Arabica species, which is a less hearty plant, but produces more delicate and complex coffee.

PRICE TRANSPARENCY

$3.50

Price paid by Driftaway (per pound avg. across this month's coffees)

$1.30

Fair Trade price per pound

$1.05

Coffee C-Market price per pound

$0.05

Driftaway's World Coffee Research contribution per pound

This coffee travelled 7,124 miles to the Driftaway Coffee roastery in Queens.

Love the coffee? You can share your compliments & tasting observations with the farmers.

SEND FARMER FEEDBACK

WHY DID WE SELECT THIS COFFEE?

Coffee from Gibuzaale Washing Station in Uganda has become a seasonal staple at Driftaway. It is one of the only African coffees that fits into the Classic Profile with its unique chocolate-and-spice-centric balance of flavors.

AVERAGE CUPPING SCORE

86

/100

LEARN MORE ABOUT CUPPING SCORES

86

SCAA Cupping Score

30 x 60 kg

Bags purchased

3 years

Length of producer relationship

100% (in 2020)

Transparent coffees purchased

A note from Ian T.

Lead Roaster & Green Coffee Buyer

"It is exciting to roast this coffee year after year and taste greater quality coffee with each new harvest. This year is no exception, as it is the best coffee we have tasted yet from Gibuzaale."

READ MORE ABOUT THE SELECTION PROCESS

HOW DID WE ROAST THIS COFFEE?

This coffee is being roasted by Dave H. from Dec 06 to Dec 27 2020 in Long Island City, Queens. We typically use the Loring S35 Kestrel roaster for this profile - this roaster roasts the beans through convection (heated air) roasting. We have strict guidelines for each of the coffee profiles, and this roast has to pass the development time ratio test as measured in real-time by the roasting software, Cropster. Once it does, it is approved for production.

QUALITY CONTROL

We perform Quality Control via a process of coffee tasting called cupping on all of our production roasts twice a week at our facility in Greenpoint, Brooklyn. Cupping is attended by Q-certified cupper Ian T., roaster Dave H., and founder Suyog M. All coffees are evaluated on a scoring scale of 0 to 3.

3.0 = exceptional roast - exceeds expectations
2.5 = on par with profile - matches expectations
2.0 = good roast, but 1 or 2 elements could be improved - needs improvement
1.5 or lower = failed - do not ship

3.0 = exceptional roast - exceeds expectations
2.5 = on par with profile - matches expectations
2.0 = good roast, but 1 or 2 elements could be improved - needs improvement
1.5 or lower = failed - do not ship

PRODUCTION AND SHIPPING

AT YOUR HOME

Brew this coffee with your favorite home brewer and enjoy the taste of incredible coffee! Here are a few tips on how to make the best coffee on each brewer.

Auto drip

Pour over

Iced coffee

French press

Espresso

Aeropress

View other posts about how to make better coffee at home on our blog Coffeecademy.

ORDER NOW

12/02/2020 by

PST | PERU CUSCO SIETE TINAJAS

Bold Profile | Medium-dark roast
Tasting Notes: Dark Chocolate, Baking Spices, Toast

THE STORY BEHIND THIS COFFEE

FARM

Harvested Summer 2020

GREEN SELECTION

Oct 2020

ROASTING

Dec 06 to Dec 27 2020

QUALITY CONTROL

1 to 4 days after roasting

PRODUCTION & SHIPPING

Within 24 hours from roasting

AT YOUR HOME

1-4 days from shipping

IT ALL STARTS AT THE COFFEE FARM

This coffee is made up of many lots from smallholder farmers situated around the municipality Convencion, high in the Andes mountains in Quillabamba, Cusco. Lots were selected to blend for this coffee by Caravela Coffee’s Lab in Lima, Peru.

TRACEABILITY

COUNTRY

Peru

PRODUCER

Convencion

REGION

Cusco

VARIETAL

Typica, Bourbon, Caturra

PROCESSING

Washed

ALTITUDE

1450 - 2050 masl

DID YOU KNOW

In Quillabamba, Las Siete Tinajas is a set of waterfalls that have carved large bowls in the rock. Siete Tinajas translates to ‘Seven Jars’ in Spanish.

PRICE TRANSPARENCY

$3.50

Price paid by Driftaway (per pound avg. across this month's coffees)

$1.30

Fair Trade price per pound

$1.05

Coffee C-Market price per pound

$0.05

Driftaway's World Coffee Research contribution per pound

This coffee travelled 3,700 miles to the Driftaway Coffee roastery in Queens.

Love the coffee? You can share your compliments & tasting observations with the farmers.

SEND FARMER FEEDBACK

WHY DID WE SELECT THIS COFFEE?

Siete Tinajas is the perfect coffee for our Bold profile this month: dark chocolate and spice flavors accent its round, creamy body.

AVERAGE CUPPING SCORE

85.25

/100

LEARN MORE ABOUT CUPPING SCORES

85.25

SCAA Cupping Score

35 x 70 kg

Bags purchased

1 year

Length of producer relationship

100% (in 2020)

Transparent coffees purchased

A note from Ian T.

Lead Roaster & Green Coffee Buyer

"Peru has a lot of land that spans from north to south as well as many microclimates due to the Andes Mountains. This makes for many distinct growing regions which each produce coffees with unique flavors. Cusco is a region known for coffees with a particularly light and structured flavor compared to coffees from Cajamarca to the north, which can have more heavy and dense flavors."

READ MORE ABOUT THE SELECTION PROCESS

HOW DID WE ROAST THIS COFFEE?

QUALITY CONTROL

We perform Quality Control via a process of coffee tasting called cupping on all of our production roasts twice a week at our facility in Greenpoint, Brooklyn. Cupping is attended by Q-certified cupper Ian T., roaster Dave H.and founder Suyog M. All coffees are evaluated on a scoring scale of 0 to 3.

3.0 = exceptional roast - exceeds expectations
2.5 = on par with profile - matches expectations
2.0 = good roast, but 1 or 2 elements could be improved - needs improvement
1.5 or lower = failed - do not ship

PRODUCTION AND SHIPPING

AT YOUR HOME

Brew this coffee with your favorite home brewer and enjoy the taste of incredible coffee! Here are a few tips on how to make the best coffee on each brewer.

Auto drip

Pour over

Iced coffee

French press

Espresso

Aeropress

View other posts about how to make better coffee at home on our blog Coffeecademy.

ORDER NOW

12/02/2020 by

CHT | COLOMBIA HERRERA TOLIMA MERIDIANO

Balanced Profile | Light-medium roast
Tasting Notes: Lemon, Toffee, Cinnamon

THE STORY BEHIND THIS COFFEE

FARM

Harvested Spring 2020

GREEN SELECTION

Aug 2020

ROASTING

Dec 06 to Dec 27 2020

QUALITY CONTROL

1 to 4 days after roasting

PRODUCTION & SHIPPING

Within 24 hours from roasting

AT YOUR HOME

1-4 days from shipping

IT ALL STARTS AT THE COFFEE FARM

This coffee is collected from the farms of the 58 members of the Association of Specialty Coffee Growers of Alto Saldana. The farms are situated in the area around the town of Herrera in the Tolima Department. The average size of these farms is 4.5 hectares which is about 11 acres.

TRACEABILITY

COUNTRY

Colombia

PRODUCER

Association of Specialty Coffee Growers of Alto Saldana

REGION

Tolima

VARIETAL

Caturra, Colombia, Castillo

PROCESSING

Washed

ALTITUDE

1500 - 1900 masl

DID YOU KNOW

The proximity of Colombia to the equator, combined with its diverse range of microclimates (Colombia contains two of South America’s five biodiversity hotspots!), allows for almost continual harvesting throughout the year.

PRICE TRANSPARENCY

$3.50

Price paid by Driftaway (per pound avg. across this month's coffees)

$1.30

Fair Trade price per pound

$1.05

Coffee C-Market price per pound

$0.05

Driftaway's World Coffee Research contribution per pound

This coffee travelled 2,530 miles to the Driftaway Coffee roastery in Queens.

Love the coffee? You can share your compliments & tasting observations with the farmers.

SEND FARMER FEEDBACK

WHY DID WE SELECT THIS COFFEE?

This is our third consecutive year purchasing this coffee, and we have been looking forward to this harvest season and the Meridiano's super balanced flavors. This year, it has a rounded citric acidity, sweet notes of toffee, and baking spice aromas.

AVERAGE CUPPING SCORE

86.50

/100

LEARN MORE ABOUT CUPPING SCORES

86.50

SCAA Cupping Score

30 x 70 kg

Bags purchased

3 years

Length of producer relationship

100% (in 2020)

Transparent coffees purchased

A note from Ian T.

Lead Roaster & Green Coffee Buyer

"When it's Fall and Winter in the United States, coffees from South America begin to arrive as the countries further from the equator finish their harvests and ship coffee here. Different regions of Colombia can be harvested almost year-round, but the largest amount of coffee is available at this time of year. It's exciting to appreciate new flavors as the seasons change. For coffee, that means the rich and balanced flavors from Colombia."

READ MORE ABOUT THE SELECTION PROCESS

HOW DID WE ROAST THIS COFFEE?

QUALITY CONTROL

We perform Quality Control via a process of coffee tasting called cupping on all of our production roasts twice a week at our facility in Greenpoint, Brooklyn. Cupping is attended by Q-certified cupper Ian T., roaster Dave H.and founder Suyog M. All coffees are evaluated on a scoring scale of 0 to 3.

3.0 = exceptional roast - exceeds expectations
2.5 = on par with profile - matches expectations
2.0 = good roast, but 1 or 2 elements could be improved - needs improvement
1.5 or lower = failed - do not ship

PRODUCTION AND SHIPPING

AT YOUR HOME

Brew this coffee with your favorite home brewer and enjoy the taste of incredible coffee! Here are a few tips on how to make the best coffee on each brewer.

Auto drip

Pour over

Iced coffee

French press

Espresso

Aeropress

View other posts about how to make better coffee at home on our blog Coffeecademy.

ORDER NOW

12/02/2020 by

RKV | RWANDA RULINDO KININI VILLAGE

Fruity Profile | Light roast
Tasting Notes: Cantaloupe, Blackberry, Chocolate

THE STORY BEHIND THIS COFFEE

FARM

Harvested Spring 2020

GREEN SELECTION

Aug 2020

ROASTING

Dec 06 to Dec 27 2020

QUALITY CONTROL

1 to 4 days after roasting

PRODUCTION & SHIPPING

Within 24 hours from roasting

AT YOUR HOME

1-4 days from shipping

IT ALL STARTS AT THE COFFEE FARM

This coffee is from the Kinini Village group of farmers in Rwanda. Coffee for this lot was collected from the 48 smallholder farmers who are all situated around Kinini Village. “Kinini” means, literally, ‘this big thing right here’. It is the name of the collaboration of cooperatives seeking to pool their efforts to improve their crops. 85% of the members of the Kinini Village Co-op are women.

Cherry Hand-Picking at Tumba Collection Site #3 .jpg-min

Cherry Hand-Picking at Tumba Collection Site -min

Felix- Quality Control expert at Kinini WS-min

TRACEABILITY

COUNTRY

Rwanda

PRODUCER

Kinini Village

REGION

Rulindo

VARIETAL

Bourbon

PROCESSING

Washed

ALTITUDE

1800 - 2200 masl

DID YOU KNOW

In 2002, there was no specialty coffee produced in Rwanda. In 2018, 60% of coffee exported from Rwanda is considered to be in the specialty category.

PRICE TRANSPARENCY

$3.50

Price paid by Driftaway

$1.30

Fair Trade price per pound

$1.05

Coffee C-Market price per pound

$0.05

Driftaway's World Coffee Research contribution per pound

This coffee travelled 7,000 miles to the Driftaway Coffee roastery in Queens.

Love the coffee? You can share your compliments & tasting observations with the farmers.

SEND FARMER FEEDBACK

WHY DID WE SELECT THIS COFFEE?

This month in the Fruity Profile we chose to veer away from Tanzanian and Ethiopian coffees to bring you an exceptional micro-lot from Rwanda. Rwandan coffees generally have a rounded caramel-y flavor, and this one is no exception.

AVERAGE CUPPING SCORE

87.50

/100

LEARN MORE ABOUT CUPPING SCORES

87.5

SCAA Cupping Score

30 x 60 kg

Bags purchased

1 year

Length of producer relationship

100% (in 2020)

Transparent coffees purchased

A note from Ian T.

Lead Roaster & Green Coffee Buyer

"We are entering the fall and winter season of coffee arrivals in the United States. In this time of year we see African coffees from Congo, Tanzania, Burundi and, of course, Rwanda. This group of growing regions tends to be more balanced and heavy bodied, but Rwandan coffees are not understated and instead have intense, perfumey aromas and prominent acidity.of coffee exported from Rwanda is considered to be in the specialty category."

READ MORE ABOUT THE SELECTION PROCESS

HOW DID WE ROAST THIS COFFEE?

This coffee is being roasted by Ian T. from Dec 06 to Dec 27 2020 in Long Island City, Queens. We typically use the Loring Coffee roaster for this profile. We have strict guidelines for each of the coffee profiles, and this roast has to pass the development time ratio test as measured in real-time by the roasting software, Cropster. Once it does, it is approved for production.

QUALITY CONTROL

We perform Quality Control via a process of coffee tasting called cupping on all of our production roasts twice a week at our facility in Greenpoint, Brooklyn. Cupping is attended by Q-certified cupper Ian T., roaster Dave H.and founder Suyog M. All coffees are evaluated on a scoring scale of 0 to 3.

3.0 = exceptional roast - exceeds expectations
2.5 = on par with profile - matches expectations
2.0 = good roast, but 1 or 2 elements could be improved - needs improvement
1.5 or lower = failed - do not ship

PRODUCTION AND SHIPPING

AT YOUR HOME

Brew this coffee with your favorite home brewer and enjoy the taste of incredible coffee! Here are a few tips on how to make the best coffee on each brewer.

Auto drip

Pour over

Iced coffee

French press

Espresso

Aeropress

View other posts about how to make better coffee at home on our blog Coffeecademy.

ORDER NOW

11/05/2020 by

BMG | BRAZIL MINAS GERAIS

Bold Profile | Medium-dark roast
Tasting Notes: Marzipan, Chocolate, Earthy

THE STORY BEHIND THIS COFFEE

FARM

May - Aug 2020

GREEN SELECTION

Aug 2020

ROASTING

Nov 08 to Nov 29 2020

QUALITY CONTROL

1 to 4 days after roasting

PRODUCTION & SHIPPING

Within 24 hours from roasting

AT YOUR HOME

1-4 days from shipping

IT ALL STARTS AT THE COFFEE FARM

This coffee is from two farms São Paulo and Alta Mogiana in Minas Gerais Brazil/Sul De Minas in Brazil. Serra das Araras is a property with two areas of production, one 76-hectare area in São Paulo, and one 57-hectare area in Minas Gerais. The land is operated by Paulo Roberto Cintra Coelho. The coffee on this property was first planted in the 1960s and has been maintained ever since.

TRACEABILITY

COUNTRY

Brazil

PRODUCER

Serra das Araras

REGION

Minas Gerais

VARIETAL

Catimor, Bourbon, Lempira etc

PROCESSING

Natural

ALTITUDE

800 - 1524 masl

DID YOU KNOW

Brazilian coffee farms are very large operations which use mechanized picking machines to comb over the plants for coffee fruit. This is balanced by their sophisticated mills which can sort all the coffee picked by the machine into grades of ripeness.

PRICE TRANSPARENCY

$3.52

Price paid by Driftaway (per pound avg. across this months coffees)

$1.30

Fair Trade price per pound

$1.05

Coffee C-Market price per pound

$0.05

Driftaway's World Coffee Research contribution per pound

This coffee travelled 4,700 miles to the Driftaway Coffee roastery in Brooklyn.

Love the coffee? You can share your compliments & tasting observations with the farmers.

SEND FARMER FEEDBACK

WHY DID WE SELECT THIS COFFEE?

This coffee is a great representation of the region of Sul de Minas. It is a natural process coffee but unlike naturals from other countries Brazilian naturals have very little fruit flavors or aromas. They retain sweet chocolate notes and nuttiness that we have come to love from Brazil.

AVERAGE CUPPING SCORE

85.50

/100

LEARN MORE ABOUT CUPPING SCORES

85.5

SCAA Cupping Score

25 x 60 kg

Bags purchased

1 year

Length of producer relationship

100% (in 2020)

Transparent coffees purchased

A note from Ian T.

Lead Roaster & Green Coffee Buyer

"Brazilian coffee tends to be soft and easily breaks when exposed to heat. This is a great coffee but it requires some care to not add too much heat. Brazilian coffee farms are very large operations that use mechanized picking machines to comb over the plants for coffee fruit. This is balanced by their sophisticated mills which can sort all the coffee picked by the machine into grades of ripeness."

READ MORE ABOUT THE SELECTION PROCESS

HOW DID WE ROAST THIS COFFEE?

This coffee is being roasted by Dave H. from Nov 8 to Nov 29 2020 at Pulley Collective in Red Hook, Brooklyn. We typically use the Loring S35 Kestrel roaster for this profile - this roaster roasts the beans through convection (heated air) roasting. We have strict guidelines for each of the coffee profiles, and this roast has to pass the development time ratio test as measured in real-time by the roasting software, Cropster. Once it does, it is approved for production.

QUALITY CONTROL

We perform Quality Control via a process of coffee tasting called cupping on all of our production roasts twice a week at our facility in Greenpoint, Brooklyn. Cupping is attended by Q-certified cupper Ian T., roaster Dave H.and founder Suyog M. All coffees are evaluated on a scoring scale of 0 to 3.

3.0 = exceptional roast - exceeds expectations
2.5 = on par with profile - matches expectations
2.0 = good roast, but 1 or 2 elements could be improved - needs improvement
1.5 or lower = failed - do not ship

PRODUCTION AND SHIPPING

AT YOUR HOME

Brew this coffee with your favorite home brewer and enjoy the taste of incredible coffee! Here are a few tips on how to make the best coffee on each brewer.

Auto drip

Pour over

Iced coffee

French press

Espresso

Aeropress

View other posts about how to make better coffee at home on our blog Coffeecademy.

ORDER NOW