Specialty Coffee Beans
Latest articles, industry insights and brewing guides
How to Set Your Grinder’s Grind Size Setting
Grind settings aren’t universal. Learn why your grinder’s numbered dial is just a rough guide and how to actually dial in the right coffee grind.
Sumatra Mandheling Roast Profile: 19-Mesh Bean Guide
Explore the roast profile of 19-mesh Sumatra Mandheling, stopped at first crack, with herbal sweetness and full body.
Understanding Coffee Roast Levels and Their Flavor Profiles
Explore each coffee roast level from light to dark, with flavor descriptions, visual traits, and when each stage typically appears during roasting.
The Acids in Roasted Coffee and How Roast Level Affects Them
Find out which acids dominate in light vs dark roasted coffee, how roast level changes acidity, and why pH doesn’t tell the full story.
Salvadoran Coffee Processed with Natural Hot Spring Water
Learn how a Salvadoran farm uses 32–34°C mineral-rich hot spring water to wash specialty Pacamara beans, creating uniquely sweet profiles.
How Jamaica’s Blue Mountains Create World-Class Coffee
Learn why Blue Mountain Coffee from Jamaica’s high-altitude slopes is famed for its smooth balance, limited supply, and strict certification.
Traditional Coffee Processing Techniques in Yunnan
Explore how traditional tools and methods in Yunnan create unique coffee flavors, from wood-fired roasting to hand-ground brewing.
How Yunnan Coffee Is Washed: Step-by-Step Wet Process
A detailed walkthrough of the traditional washed coffee processing steps used in Yunnan, including fermentation, mucilage removal, and drying prep.
What Is Ethiopian Harar Coffee? Flavor & Roast Guide
Learn why Ethiopian Harar coffee is prized for its bold blueberry, chocolate, and wild mocha flavors — and how to roast and brew it right.
What Is Geisha Coffee? The Story Behind the Rare Variety
Discover the rare Ethiopian-origin Geisha coffee variety, its distinctive tree traits, low yield, and global cultivation—plus where you’ve seen it grown.
Congolese Kivu 4 Washed Coffee Beans Explained
Learn what makes the Congolese Kivu 4 washed coffee unique — its flavor profile, ideal roast level, and how it compares to Kenyan and Indonesian beans.
2011 Saint Helena Sandy Bay Estate Coffee Beans
Learn about the 2011 vintage from Saint Helena’s Sandy Bay Estate, featuring green-tipped Bourbon grown at high elevation with full washed processing.
Colombia Supremo Coffee Beans from AF Farm
Discover Colombia’s premium Supremo coffee from AF Farm in Antioquia, grown at 1500–1800m with Caturra, washed processed, offering caramel, citrus, and cocoa tones.
Washed vs Natural Yirgacheffe: G2 vs G3 Process Comparison
We compare a US-sourced Yirgacheffe G3 natural (90.2-rated) with a washed G2 to highlight how processing shapes flavor: floral, fruity, or clean.
Papua New Guinea Sigri Estate Bird of Paradise Coffee
Explore why 'Bird of Paradise' coffee from PNG’s Sigri Estate tastes clean, bright, and smooth — and how it earned its iconic nickname.
What Makes Jamaican Blue Mountain Coffee So Expensive?
Discover why Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee is rare, costly, and revered—plus insights into wild and shade-grown coffee trends.
What Is Catuai Coffee? Hybrid Arabica Explained
Catuai is a hybrid coffee variety bred from Caturra and Mundo Novo. It’s disease-resistant and low-growing—but comes with trade-offs in harvest and flavor.
Rwandan Coffee and Its Renowned Washed Arabica Beans
Rwandan coffee is famed for its bright, complex washed Arabica beans with a soft, dense body and tropical fruit character.
Yirgacheffe vs Harrar: Two Distinct Ethiopian Coffee Styles
Yirgacheffe offers bright, citrusy florals; Harrar delivers deep, fruity body. Discover how Ethiopia’s microclimates shape these iconic coffees.
Sulawesi Coffee: Indonesia’s Elegant Island Bean
Sulawesi coffee offers earthy aromas, herbal complexity, and a smooth, low-acidity profile thanks to its semi-washed processing. Learn what makes it unique.