Field notes

Stories from the trade

Reading, watching, and rabbit-holing on coffee culture.

Why altitude matters
Story

Why altitude matters

Cooler nights at altitude slow cherry development, concentrating sugars and acids. The result is the bright, articulate cup geeks chase across the equatorial be…

  • Citrus
Water is 98% of your coffee
Story

Water is 98% of your coffee

Mineral content shapes extraction more than any other variable you control at home. A short field guide to building water that lets the bean speak.…

  • Citrus
  • Floral
Yirgacheffe
Ethiopia

Yirgacheffe

Ethiopia is the birthplace of coffee. Yirgacheffe lots are prized for jasmine-like aromatics, bergamot tea quality, and an almost crystalline acidity. Cherries …

  • Berry
  • Citrus
  • Floral
Sidamo2100 masl
Huila
Colombia

Huila

Huila sits in the southern Colombian Andes, a tapestry of small farms tracing volcanic slopes. The microclimate produces classic sweet-balanced cups: panela sug…

  • Caramel
  • Citrus
  • Stonefruit
Huila1750 masl
Nyeri
Kenya

Nyeri

Kenyan coffee carries one of the most recognisable cup signatures in the world: blackcurrant, grapefruit, and a glassy phosphoric acidity. Nyeri sits between Mo…

  • Berry
  • Citrus
  • Cocoa
Central Highlands1800 masl
Caturra Sunrise
medium

Caturra Sunrise

Honeyed sweetness with a clean lemon-zest brightness; the everyday filter staple.…

  • Caramel
  • Citrus
Huila