Let the holiday festivities begin!
2021 has been an interesting year to say the least, through the lock downs, cancelled plans and generally testing times we have all found comfort in exceptional coffee. We want to say a big thank you to all of our subscribers, featured roasters and everyone who has supported us this year, you rock! To close out 2021 we have four stellar single origins to feature from one of our all time favourite roasters, Offshoot Coffee.
This December we have not one, not two but four single origins to feature! Head roaster Rummy (pictured) has chosen a different single orgin for filter and espresso but also two different coffees for our select subscribers.
Presenting Offshoot Coffee
We first discovered Offshoot Coffee back in early 2019 after wandering through their doors looking for a good coffee whilst on a lunch break in the CBD. We’ve since become great friends with the staff and true fans of their work! When you speak to Head roaster Rummy Keshet, it doesn’t take long to feel his passion for coffee and his vision for quality over quantity coffee. Rummy is the main man behind all of Offshoot’s coffee and we caught up with him to find out what goes into the special sauce that makes Offshoot Coffee so great!
From Rummy - “My journey in coffee started back in 2009 in London, I moved there from Israel to pursue a career in music. I got a day job at a cafe in an open market in Camden Town, a highly touristic and exciting area. I worked on a traditional lever espresso machine that was installed on top of a piano, here I indulged in music and coffee. Slowly however I came to realise that music doesn't pay, London was the right place at the wrong time for a musician.
As fate would have it, there was an explosion of specialty coffee happening in London at the time, I saw the exact same potential there that musicians like The Beatles saw back in the 60's in music. In 2010 some worlds largest coffee events (including world barista championships) were held in London. I took a deep dive into the specialty coffee world, realising that I get the same reward from being a musician - in coffee. I thought to myself, I get to curate something for people's taste, I have a loyal crowd, it's technical, it’s vast, it's magical, and most importantly - it brings people together.
I first came to Perth, Australia in 2013 to visit my family and have stayed here since. The same specialty coffee explosion I saw in London happened here too at that point. The difference is that it was a smaller community, of highly skilled professionals. I was always drawn into roasting, and volunteered in roasteries on my day off as a young barista to learn the skills I needed. In 2017 I started roasting with high quality in mind, and with the help of my colleagues we have tested and tasted thousands of roast batches. We continue to have strict quality control to progress the company and ensure we are always developing.
The Roasts:
Espresso: - Sao Joaquim Red Catuai
Origin - Brazil
Varietal - Red Catuai
Process - Natural process
Tasting Notes - Nutella, Apple, Grape
MASL - 1200-1450
Farmer - Sao Joaquim has grown and produced both of our filter and espresso coffees this month. Both of these coffees have used the natural production method which is our personal favourite way to produce coffee.
In 2019 Offshoot Head Roaster Rummy Keshet met the owner of the farm, Jesimar Sandi on our Minas Gerais trip in 2020. They quickly became friends, sharing their love for high quality coffee.
Jesmiar Sandi owns and runs Sitio São Joaquim. He is a passionate farmer and his farm sits on one of the best terroirs in his region. The 67-hectare farm was inherited from his grandfather, and father before him. The first seedlings were planted on Sitio São Joaquim in 1953, and coffee has been a big part of the family business ever since. It is their primary source of income and has allowed Jesimar's children to pursue their education and maintain a good standard of living.
After Jesimar lost a son to an accident, he almost lost his love for farming and considered stepping away from Sitio São Joaquim. Instead, he refocused his energy and decided to devote himself to high-quality coffee. As a result, he was encouraged to send his coffee to the Cup of Excellence competition in 2012, and to his own surprise, he took first place, with an incredible score of 92 points.
Filter - Sao Joaquim Mundo novo
Origin - Brazil
Varietal - Mundo Novo
Process - Natural
Tasting Notes - Navel orange, Praline, Marshmallow
MASL - 1200-1450
Farmer - Sao Joaquim
Select Filter - Los Pinitos Gesha
Origin - Costa Rica
Varietal - Gesha
Process - Natural
Tasting Notes - Strawberry, Coconut Jam, kiwi
MASL - 1500
Farmer - Oscar and Francisca Chacón are third-generation coffee producers, but the coffee is more than just in their family heritage, it's also in their hearts and souls. The couple is committed to quality and innovation, and are among the very first farmers in Costa Rica to produce Honey and Natural process specialty coffee.
In 2005, after years of delivering their cherry to a cooperative for the going market price, they decided to join the brand-new "micromill revolution" and buy their own depulper to have more control over the quality and the price they received for their lots.
That experimentation led to some of the most exciting new flavour profiles we have ever tasted. Now, the Chacón's produce a wide range of Honey process coffees, modulating the drying time in order to create different effects in the cup.
Necessity bred more innovation for the family when an earthquake in 2008 wiped out electricity and water to their area during the harvest. Unable to run the depulpers or to wash the mucilage off to produce Washed lots, Francisca took inspiration from her knowledge of African coffee production and quickly built raised beds on the property.
Select Espresso - El Arbol Indigo Lot 335
Origin - Nicaragua
Varietal - Catimor
Process - Carbonic Macetration Natural
Tasting Notes - Black forrest, Grape jelly, Chestnut puree
MASL - 1200-1500
Farmer - In 2016, Project Origin founder Sasa Sestic teamed up with several coffee professionals and producer, Claudia Lovo to purchase Finca El Árbol, in the Dipilto region of Nicaragua.
The name El Árbol (‘the tree’) comes from the giant tree that dominates the centre of the farm.
The goal was to transform El Árbol from a commodity coffee farm to one that could produce high quality, specialty coffee. With Claudia’s guidance over the last four years, the farm has been transformed from an overgrown commodity farm to a well-maintained sanctuary of flora, fauna, community and specialty coffee. The farm grows a range of coffee varietals and has been the source of many innovations and experiments in processing techniques including an intention to become fully organic by 2025.
Claudia and the team are slowly reducing the use of chemicals, gradually replacing them with organic compost from local animals, trees, vegetables and flowers. The aim is to increase bio-diversity on the farm and in the local area, so that the natural environment itself returns to being self-sustaining and nutrient rich. This will hopefully also ensure high quality coffee production so that the farm can continue to support full time, year-round workers.
Claudia and Sasa have gone to great lengths to ensure that El Árbol is focused on its workers and the community. Before the farm itself was refurbished, investments were made into the accommodation and resources used by the farm workers and their families. All meals are cooked on the farm, with all the managers and workers eating together. Basic healthcare and dental services are provided to all staff and their children as well as tutors to improve their computer and English-speaking skills.
A huge thank you from One Coffee Snob to Offshoot coffee, Rummy and Lucie for their help this month.