Our Light Club Subscription gives you the opportunity to have new coffee experiences every month. Join the Light Club and let us take you on a journey through the world of coffee.
As a subscriber you will receive
- 2 x bright, exciting, different coffees every month
- First turn to experience new coffees
- Access to subscriber-exclusive coffees
- Free shipping
- Roasted to order every first Tuesday of the month
February coffees (special order extension to February 8th)
Juana Salas Mamani Washed - Peru
After being harvested at peak ripeness, the coffee cherries are pulped mechanically, removing the majority of the fruit. The coffee is then placed in open-air ceramic tanks filled with water and ferments for several hours in the open air, gaining access to wild, naturally-occuring yeast. During this process, the starches break down into sugars and bring the coffee flavour alive. The coffee is finally then dried for 15-21 days on raised beds.
Region: Puno
Flavour Notes: peach, cherry, fig
Variety: Bourbon, Typica
Altitude: 1800m
Puno is one of the most exclusive and renowned growing regions in all of Latin America, and despite the demand for its coffee, there just isn’t that much to go around. The coffees we have tasted this year from the region are not only some of the best we had all year not just in Peru, but in the whole world, and Juana's coffee stands above the rest. Puno coffees have a dedicated following and are typically spoken for before they hit the ports, so while we may not talk about them very often, they are certainly worth doing so.
Though the climate in Puno may be slightly wetter than similar coffee-producing regions in the country, the peak altitudes are similar. Puno is home to a wealth of high-altitude coffees. Caturra and Typica are the common varietals, though Bourbon plays an even stronger role in the genetic makeup of coffee here, thanks to a UN-funded replanting project in the 1980s.
The Fermentation Process: Washed
After being harvested at peak ripeness, the coffee cherries are pulped mechanically, removing the majority of the fruit. The coffee is then placed in open-air ceramic tanks filled with water and ferments for several hours in the open air, gaining access to wild, naturally-occuring yeast. During this process, the starches break down into sugars and bring the coffee flavour alive. The coffee is finally then dried for 15-21 days on raised beds.
Kanzu Lot 4 Washed - Rwanda
Region: Nyamasheke
Flavour Notes: apricot, dates, walnut
Variety: Bourbon
Altitude: 2100m
Located just west of Lake Kivu’s blue-green waters, the Kanzu station is set against verdant green hills where coffee, sugar cane, and bananas are grown. There is a fertile crown of land around the ancient volcanoes where ash has collected and caused the soil to be rich in minerals. Smallholder producers grow small amounts of bourbon variety coffee alongside sustenance crops of bananas and beans. The Kanzu station begins collecting cherries in March, and harvest stretches all the way to July. Thanks to stellar management and harvest planning, the Kanzu station separates the harvest into outturns (much like Kenya). Cherries that arrive at the washing station are floated to separate the less dense cherries away, just as an initial quality check before fermentation. A disc pulper then strips away the outer skin of the cherry, leaving a mucilage covered seed that undergoes a dry fermentation for up to 18 hours. The wastewater is then treated with Effective microorganisms (EMTechnologiesTM) to ensure runoff and erosion are managed, securing precious water resources for the surrounding community. The community surrounding the Kanzu station has been the subject of focused aid efforts since the mid-’90’s which has transformed the Rwandese coffee industry following the end of the genocide. Much of this has been due to USAID and Dr. Tim Schilling, who has led the effort to build collection stations and developed cooperatives. This work has led to the burgeoning market access that specialty coffee grown in Rwanda has experienced over the decade.
The Fermentation Process: Washed
After being harvested at peak ripeness, the coffee cherries are pulped mechanically, removing the majority of the fruit. The coffee is then placed in open-air ceramic tanks filled with water and ferments for several hours in the open air, gaining access to wild, naturally-occuring yeast. During this process, the starches break down into sugars and bring the coffee flavour alive. The coffee is finally then dried for 11 days in a controlled temperature drying room.
