This is a reference not so much to the drink itself as much as it is a reference to the era of coffee culture.

1st Wave — The Utilization of Coffee

While Arabica coffee has been cultivated since the 15th century, the discovery of Robusta in the 1800s led to what we know as the first "wave" of coffee. The focus of this wave was on mass production, with Robusta often being mixed with Arabica for its lower production costs and caffeine content. Think: Maxwell House and tinned, pre-ground coffee. From the 1800s all the way through the 1970s, the focus wasn't on taste or quality, but accessibility, affordability, and convenience. Coffee was simply a bitter drink that you either liked or didn't.

2nd Wave — The Enjoyment of Coffee

The emphasis of the 2nd wave was on coffeehouses as destinations, specialty coffee drinks, and the beginnings of interest in coffee origins. Companies like Peet's Coffee and Starbucks spearheaded this wave. For the first time, coffee became the conversation. People already loved coffee; the fact that it could taste good blew everyone's minds. "Are you telling me I can enjoy coffee and enjoy how it tastes?" Darker roasts and lattes, cappuccinos, and frappuccinos were the order of the day. Coffee shifted from being a commodity to being a culture.

3rd Wave — The Exploration of Coffee

In the early 2000s, companies like Starbucks had grown to astronomical sizes. Although more exposure of 2nd wave coffee to the world was a good thing, a problem began to develop. Since these giant coffee companies became so big, there was no choice but to continually compromise on quality in the name of quantity. There's not much you can do when you need to supply more than 2,500 coffee shops worldwide—and so Starbucks lost sight of what brought their success in the first place: pursuing good coffee.

This drove coffee lovers to source their own quality coffee as technology made small farms more accessible. Coffee became an artisanal craft. The emphasis was on single origin, lightly roasted, high-quality Arabica beans. Roasting coffee beans became an art; natural flavor profiles were nurtured and celebrated; precise manual brewing methods grew in popularity. Terms such as fair trade—a certification dedicated to ethical treatment of small-crop farms—became household words. The importance of the farm in the coffee process emerged.

4th Wave — The Science of Coffee

This is where we are today. The 4th wave of coffee has been characterized by the science of perfection when it comes to coffee. Open discourse back to farms about cupping notes, how their coffee compares to other farms, and tips on how to improve the bean are all standard practices. It isn't simply about enjoying the best cup of coffee, it's about making that "best cup" better and better and better. In this wave, everyone is a student of coffee, including us here at Sagebrush.

Here’s the short answer: origin matters—a lot.

A coffee’s “origin”–its variety, terroir, processing method, and coffee culture–all shape the flavors in your cup. In other words: origin matters.

Let’s break each of those down, starting with its variety. 

How Variety Impacts Taste

Every coffee bean begins as the seed of a bright red cherry growing on the Coffea Arabica plant–a plant of which there are thousands of varieties. 

Coffee varieties are simply different versions of this plant–each with its own genetic differences that affect the flavor, aroma, and quality of the final cup.

It’s like apples. 

All apple trees belong to the same species, but the fruit they produce varies in texture, acidity, sweetness, and color (think a Granny Smith vs a Red Delicious). 

Similarly, all coffee plants belong to the Coffea Arabica species, but there are thousands of different varieties that produce fruit with different flavor characteristics. Like the apple example, a Bourbon might be inherently more chocolatey; a Gesha might be more floral. 

Which variety a farmer chooses to plant will obviously have an impact on that coffee’s flavor profile down the road. And this choice happens at origin. 

Once planted, the next factor that can transform a coffee’s taste is its terroir. 

How Terroir Impacts Taste

Terroir (pronounced tehr-war) is not a small dog or a term reserved for wine enthusiasts. It’s just a fancy name for the growing environment of a crop. It encompasses things like elevation, climate, and soil. 

Each one of these makes a big difference in the future flavor and health of the coffee cherry. 

For one, coffee grown at higher elevations (>1000m) is typically of higher quality than that grown at lower elevations. The cooler air slows down the cherry maturation process, allowing them to become nutritionally dense and packed with more flavor compounds. 

Then, there’s the climate and soil. 

The Coffea Arabica plant, like many of us, loves a good tropical climate. It prefers high humidity, moderate (not heavy) rainfall, and a good balance of sun and shade.

It's also picky about soil. It likes soil that is well-drained, nutrient-dense, and is particularly inclined towards soil that’s rich in organic matter, like volcanic soil.

Plants grown in this kind of terroir produce sweeter, more complex cups that allow coffee to really shine. 

But it’s not just the variety and terroir that make a difference in taste. How the coffee is processed is of equal importance.

How Processing Impacts Taste

Coffee processing simply refers to everything that happens to the coffee cherry from when it’s harvested to when it's packaged for export. 

There are three common methods of processing. The washed process is where the seeds are extracted from the fruit, soaked in water to remove the remaining sticky fruit residue, and then dried. 

The natural process is where the cherries are dried whole with the fruit still on. And the honey process is where the seeds are removed from the fruit but dried with the fruit residue, called mucilage, still on.   

Depending on its natural resources, a country will usually prefer one kind of processing method over another. 

For example, in Ethiopia, where water scarcity is an issue, the natural method is preferred since it doesn’t require water. Likewise, in places where water is abundant, the washed process is more common. 

This decision has a huge impact on taste!

Washed coffees tend to result in a cleaner, brighter flavor profile with notes of citrus whereas naturals tend to have more fruit-forward and complex flavor profiles. Honey processed coffees often have attributes of both! 

But these flavor profiles can vary widely, depending on all the other factors we just discussed–variety, terroir, etc. 

There is one more factor that isn’t always considered a part of a coffee’s origin that can have a big impact on quality and taste–the country’s coffee culture. 

How A Country’s Coffee Culture Impacts Taste

How much a country invests in its coffee industry makes a big difference when it comes to the overall quality and taste of its coffee.

Many countries like Brazil, Costa Rica, Indonesia, and Colombia have whole institutes devoted to researching best practices in coffee and varieties that grow best in the local environment. Their whole aim is to educate coffee farmers about these things so they can achieve the best possible coffee product not just as individuals, but as a whole country. 

These institutes also push their country (and the coffee industry) forward in experimental varieties and processing methods. 

This raises the standard for coffee in the country, provides a level of quality control, and imparts a sense of community and partnership nation-wide. This strengthens the in-country coffee culture and allows for certain countries to be well-known for their consistent quality.  

If you’ve ever seen a bag of specialty coffee and been confused by reading something like: “yellow honey-processed red bourbon grown at 1500-1700m”, we hope this article has been helpful for you as a kind of decoder key. 

Those labels aren’t decoration; they are vital pieces of information! 

They tell you the story about that particular bag of coffee–where it came from, how it was grown and processed. Understanding how important each one of those things is will hopefully help you to appreciate that story even more the next time you read it. 

The next time you're sipping on that bright, citrusy Ethiopian or that nutty, chocolatey Guatemalan, remember—you’re tasting a story written by a million different choices of sun, soil, and societies. 

The country of Colombia (not Col-um-bia) boasts some pretty extraordinary claims to fame.

It is the world’s leading exporter of emeralds–exporting 70-90% of the world’s supply. It is the world's second most biodiverse country–with more species of bird than in Europe and North America combined. It has the world's tallest palm trees (up to 200 feet tall!) and the world’s most colorful “rainbow” river (Caño Cristales).

It is also the third largest producer of specialty coffee in the world, preceded only by Brazil and Vietnam. But it didn’t arrive at that place overnight.

Colombian Coffee History

The story goes that coffee was first introduced to Colombia by Jesuit priests back in 1723. While the first crops were cultivated around that time, commercial production did not truly begin until the end of the 18th century. It may have gotten a slow start, but by 1912, coffee made up 50% of Colombia’s total exports.

What set Colombia apart from other coffee distributors was its focus in marketing on the fictional farmer named Juan Valdez. Appearing as an image of him and his donkey, Conchita, this "poster boy" of Colombian coffee appeared on bags and advertising campaigns everywhere. Not only did this kind of branding add value to Colombian coffee, it made it recognizable around the world.

Colombia has seen great success in the specialty coffee industry for two reasons.

First, it has the perfect coffee-growing climate. Arabica coffee is notoriously harder to grow than its coffee-producing counterpart, Robusta. It requires good soil, high altitude, temperature that gets neither too hot or too cold, and just the right amount of rainfall and humidity.

Colombia's mountainous terrain and tropical climate tick all these boxes. Not only is Colombia able to produce delicious coffee all year long thanks to its climate, it also has numerous microclimates where different varieties of Arabica can thrive. This throws the door wide open to how broad a range of tasting notes it can produce.

Secondly, Colombia has been successful because of how much it has invested as a country in coffee.

Exporting over 12 million bags of coffee in 2024, the Colombian coffee industry is overseen by the Federación Nacional de Cafeteros (or, FNC). This organization exists to support coffee farmers through research and fair prices, ensure high standards for exporters, and promote sustainable farming practices across the country. It basically acts as a non-profit union for more than 500,000 coffee farmers, focusing on their well-being as well as the growth of rural areas.

To put it simply, Colombia as a country has taught their farmers how to grow high-quality coffee well. And this has made “Colombian coffee” a trusted and respectable name.

We can attest to that trusted name first hand.

Why We Love Colombia

We had been sourcing Colombian coffee for years before our first origin trip there. And yet, being there, face-to-face with the people we had been buying from, was a completely different experience.

We not only fell in love with the country for its wild beauty and climate (as Arizonans, we had never seen so much green), but also for its kind-hearted people…and excellent coffee! We were there to judge the Best Cup competition and the experience was nothing short of amazing. While that first trip was amazing, it wasn’t the only one–just the one that made us realize the power of spending time with producers and exporters face-to-face.

In terms of flavor, we love Colombian coffee for its complexity and variability.

Some countries have more or less a consistent flavor profile; Colombia does not. While for the most part, Colombian coffee is known for being smooth, medium-bodied, and having a balanced, mild flavor–not too bitter, not overly sweet–it is also incredibly versatile. Meaning, some coffees have bolder, chocolatier notes while others might be bright with a sweeter, fruitier mouthfeel. Colombia has also led the way in experimental varieties and processing methods. We never know exactly what a Colombian coffee is going to taste like–we just know it’s going to be really delicious.

Colombia might be named after a 15th-century explorer, but its coffee has helped the world rediscover what true craftsmanship tastes like in the 21st century.

It’s the home of ancient civilizations, the birthplace of chocolate, and where, every year, thousands of American school buses are transformed to become hallmarks of public transportation.

Welcome to Guatemala!

Guatemala (gwaa•tuh•maa•luh), located just south of Mexico in Central America, is renowned for its ancient Mayan ruins and its stunning geographical features like Lake Atitlán. But we love Guatemala for a completely different reason: coffee!

We’ve been sourcing directly from coffee producers in Guatemala for years. And for good reason! Guatemala is consistently ranked as one of the world's largest high-quality coffee producers. In 2023, they exported over a billion dollars’ worth of coffee!

But it wasn’t always this way. Before we get into what we love about Guatemala, here’s a brief recap of how coffee came to Guatemala in the first place.

Guatemalan Coffee History

Most people believe that coffee was first brought to Guatemala during the Spanish conquests in the mid-18th century. The story goes that Jesuit missionaries brought it over, planting the trees as ornamental decorations for their Antiguan monasteries. But it wasn’t until the 1850s that coffee became a crop for the country.

Prior to this, Guatemala’s chief export was cochineal–the natural red dye made from dried and crushed cochineal beetles. As synthetic dyes were introduced to the market, demand for cochineal fell sharply, leaving Guatemala with an aching void in their economy.

Enter coffee!

It had the potential as a crop to be harvested in greater quantities than cochineal, as well as attracting higher market prices and being easier to transport across long distances. The Guatemalan government decided it was all in.

They established the Commission for Coffee Cultivation and Promotion to educate coffee farmers. They distributed a million coffee seeds across the country to encourage growth (it worked!). By 1880, 90% of the country's exports consisted of coffee.

But although the coffee industry quickly became the backbone of the economy, it wasn’t all sunshine and rainbows for the people of Guatemala. In order to expand coffee plantations, many indigenous Mayan people were deprived of their land. This led to a huge socio-economic disparity between the wealthy landholding coffee elite and the majority indigenous population. Eventually, these tensions escalated into a full-blown civil war in 1960 between the U.S.-backed authoritarian government and a coalition of rebel groups–a conflict that would last for 36 years.

Although the war devastated much of the Guatemalan economy, the coffee industry survived.

In the early 2000s, the industry began to recover, shifting its focus to specialty coffee and making a name for itself in that world. There is also an increasing focus in-country on helping small-scale farmers access fair trade markets and sustainable practices through its national coffee association, Anacafé.

Why We Love Guatemala

Guatemala is special to us for several reasons.

For one, they produce a consistently excellent product. Every year, our best-selling coffees are Guatemalan. And it’s easy to see why! Geographically speaking, Guatemala has all the right ingredients to grow truly delicious coffee. It has high altitudes, rich, volcanic soil, plenty of rain, and over 300 diverse microclimates!

Together, these attributes combine to create coffee that is balanced, bright, and complex. We particularly love the coffees from Guatemala with a sweet caramel note, creamy vanilla ice cream mouthfeel, and rich chocolate finish.

But the biggest reason we love Guatemala is the relationships.

Guatemala was the first place we took an origin trip as roasters; the first time we got to see firsthand the kind of work that goes into operating a coffee farm. We got to see the labor that goes into picking coffee cherries by hand; the time and care that goes into processing them at a mill.

We knew we’d meet producers and learn about their lives, but there was something magical about sitting around a table with 10 coffee-producing families and hearing about the struggles and challenges they face on a daily basis. They may be different than ours, but we’re all in the same industry going after the same thing: great coffee!

We live a world apart and yet, have everything in common.

Our mission as a company is to put on display the hard work of the coffee producers. Every time we get to visit places like Huehuetenango in Guatemala, we are reminded of this hard work all over again. What we spend a matter of minutes roasting and brewing, they labor to grow for years! We’re really just trying to not mess up all of the work done before us.

When we think about Guatemalan coffee, we don’t see a country or a supply chain. We see faces. The faces of producers who have become more than business partners to us; they’ve become friends.

Coffee is about so much more than a drink. It’s about community. Conversation. Connection. That is what we think of when we think of Guatemala. And that is what we strive to bring you in every cup!

Check out the Guatemalan coffees we have here!

Many factors influence the beans you grind and brew for your morning cup of coffee. One of the most important is a coffee's variety. Varieties are essentially different versions of the coffee plant, each with a unique genetic makeup shaped by generations of development and care.

At Sagebrush, we exclusively source and sell varieties of the Arabica coffee plant. While all Arabica coffee comes from the same species, each variety has subtle genetic differences that affect the flavor, aroma, and quality of the final cup.

A helpful comparison is to think of coffee plants like apple trees. All apple trees belong to the same species, but the fruit they produce varies in texture, acidity, sweetness, and color. Think of the difference between a Granny Smith and a Red Delicious apple: one is tart and green, the other sweet and red. Coffee varieties work the same way. All coffee, whether Arabica or Robusta, originated from the Rubiaceae plant family. Over time, two main branches evolved: Coffea Arabica and Coffea Canephora (commonly known as Robusta).

Even within Arabica, some varieties can be lower in quality or more prone to disease. Others, however, stand out for their exceptional characteristics. One such variety is Gesha, a true superstar in the coffee world. It's known for its rarity, distinct flavor profile, and unmatched quality, making it one of the most exclusive and celebrated coffee varieties available.

Keep reading or watch our YouTube video.

Gesha Coffee: The Crown Jewel of Coffee Varieties

Gesha coffees are incredibly dynamic, known for their powerful and complex flavor notes. Often regarded as the royalty of coffee varieties, Gesha has broken records at auctions and competitions around the world. In August 2021, a specific lot of Gesha fetched an astounding $4,100 per unroasted pound. That’s not a typo, this coffee commands premium prices for good reason.

Since its spike in popularity about 15 years ago, many farms capable of sustaining Gesha have added it to their crops. At Sagebrush, we’ve been fortunate enough to get our hands on a few selections over the years and are always on the lookout for the next incredible lot. So, what exactly makes Gesha so special, and why is it so expensive?

Gesha's Beginnings

Gesha is a hybrid variety from the Arabica family, and although it’s often associated with Panama, it didn’t originate there. The variety traces back to 1931 in the Gori Gesha forest of Ethiopia’s Kaffa region. It wasn’t until the 1960s that Gesha began growing in Panama, after being introduced to Latin America via research institutions in Costa Rica.

Gesha or Geisha?

You may see this variety spelled either “Gesha” or “Geisha.” At Sagebrush, we use both. The name comes from the Gesha Mountain region in Ethiopia, where the plant was first discovered. Over time, the spelling “Geisha” gained popularity, likely to make it more familiar to Western audiences. Both versions are correct, pronounced the same way: gay•shuh.

From Hidden Gem to Global Phenomenon

In the 1950s, Gesha was brought from Ethiopia to Costa Rica for research and cultivation at the Tropical Agricultural Research and Higher Education Center. It eventually made its way to Panama, where it was planted at the now-famous Hacienda La Esmeralda farm. After years of development, the farm introduced Gesha at the 2004 "Best of Panama" auction and the coffee world was forever changed.

Judges were stunned by Gesha’s unique, vibrant flavor. The variety quickly skyrocketed to international fame, with prices following suit. By 2018, Gesha beans were selling for $803 per pound. Today, depending on origin, processing, and quality, the price can vary widely. Some coffee shops might offer a cup for $9, while others charge upwards of $75. Both are high for a single cup, but the quality difference can be substantial.

Gesha beans are famous for their floral and fruity flavor profile, delicate yet vibrant. Depending on where they’re grown and how they're processed, tasting notes can include mango, guava, papaya, and citrus. This unique complexity ties back to the variety's Ethiopian roots and has made Gesha one of the most sought-after coffees in the world.

Is It Worth the Price?

Several factors contribute to Gesha’s high price point:

• Challenging Cultivation: Gesha plants require high altitudes (typically 1,700–1,950m) and precise growing conditions.

• Low Yield: The plant has a thinner foliar system, reducing photosynthetic efficiency, and a weaker root system, limiting water and nutrient intake. As a result, it produces fewer beans than other varietals.

• Labor-Intensive Harvesting & Processing: Timing is critical, and post-harvest care must be meticulous to preserve its delicate flavors.

With Gesha, it’s all about quality over quantity. The Panama Gesha variety consistently earns top scores from the Specialty Coffee Association (SCA), often scoring above 90 on their 100-point scale.

At Sagebrush, we like to compare high-end coffee to wine. Sometimes you grab a $10 bottle to pair with a home-cooked meal. Other times, you invest in a $100 bottle at a fine restaurant. Coffee works the same way, except you can enjoy a bag of premium beans over multiple brews. Want to dig into this comparison more? Check out Jonathan’s blog post: A Case for Expensive Coffee.

Gesha has come a long way, from its origins in a remote Ethiopian forest to being celebrated on the world stage. Its exceptional taste, rarity, and cultivation challenges have cemented its status as one of the most prestigious coffee varieties available.

Whether you're a seasoned coffee enthusiast or just starting to explore specialty beans, trying a well-sourced Gesha can be a truly unforgettable experience.

Shop Gesha coffee beans

Written by Zoë Maiden

At this point, 90% of the work has been done. Begun as the seed of a coffee cherry, then picked, processed, exported, and roasted–all that remains is to brew it in hot water. Simple, right?

Not so fast. This last step of brewing the coffee is absolutely crucial because it carries with it all the work that came before. The coffee farmer who labored for months to cultivate and grow the plant, the workers who hand-selected each cherry for ripeness, the men and women who raked and turned the beans as they dried–all of that hard work is at stake. It’s entirely possible for everyone in the supply chain to have done their jobs excellently up to this point, only to reach this step and mess it all up.

When it comes to the brewing process, the three things we think most about are grind size, water temperature, and brewing method.

First, the grind size. It’s difficult to overstate just how important grind size and consistency are when it comes to the final result of your coffee. Grind size affects extraction–the rate at which hot water pulls the soluble compounds from the coffee grounds. Too fine a grind and it’s easy to over-extract the grounds, resulting in a bitter cup; too coarse and it’s easy to under-extract the grounds, resulting in a sour cup. This is why having a grind size that is consistent is so important! You want all of the coffee particles to be the same size so that some aren’t being over or under extracted, but all are being equally extracted at the same rate, resulting in a beautifully consistent cup of coffee. Of all the things to invest in when it comes to brewing your own coffee at home, we would always say to prioritize investing in a high-quality burr grinder. Variety might be the spice of life in other contexts, but when it comes to size of coffee grounds, it’s the last thing you want. Grind size matters.

Secondly, water temperature. Again, what’s at stake here is consistency in extracting the flavor compounds of the coffee grounds. Coffee is full of different soluble compounds like acids, sugars, oils, and aromatic molecules. Water temperatures that are too cool (less than 195°) will under-extract flavors because the water is not hot enough to dissolve these compounds. Temperatures that are too high (higher than 205° typically), on the other hand, will over-extract the good flavor compounds and pull out undesirable compounds linked to bitterness and astringency which dissolve at higher temperatures. When it comes to lighter roasts, whose cell structure is more dense, a higher temperature is required to dissolve these compounds. Since virtually all of our coffee here at Sagebrush is a light roast, we work with slightly higher temperatures, such as 208° in our on-bar pour over recipe.

Lastly, let’s talk about the brewing method. Which brewing method you choose will actually have an impact on all your other brewing decisions, like grind size and water temperature. This is because different brewing methods require faster or slower rates of water flow depending on how they’re built. For example, because a Chemex has a thicker filter which slows down the flow rate, it requires a faster flow of water through the grounds in order for over-extraction not to occur. Therefore, the grind size will be a bit coarser (think: sugar in the raw) since the coarser the grind, the more air between particles, the faster the flow of water. A V60 Pour Over, on the other hand, has a thinner filter. In order not to under extract the grounds, the flow rate needs to be slowed down, so a finer grind (think: finer than table salt but not as fine as powdered sugar) is required since the finer the grind, the less space between particles, the slower the flow of water.

When it comes to brewing methods, there are other variables that we could discuss here, like the ratio of water to coffee grounds, water quality, type of coffee beans, etc. But these three factors are probably the most influential when it comes to this final stage of the journey of coffee.

At Sagebrush, our goal is to put on display the hard work of coffee producers. We pay attention to the details of the brewing process to ensure the high quality beans we receive are displayed at their absolute finest once brewed. And now, equipped with a little more information, you can do the same thing!

By the time we reach this stage, most of the hard work has already been done. The coffee cherries have been planted, grown, and hand-picked for ripeness; they have been processed at origin in different ways to bring out specific flavors; and they have been packaged and exported all over the world.

When they arrive at your favorite roaster, coffee 'beans' are green, dense, and nearly flavorless. But as heat is applied, a series of fascinating chemical reactions transforms them: they darken in color, lose density, and develop complex, dynamic flavors.

In a light roast, the flavors that emerge are largely those inherent to the bean itself–its acidity, fruitiness, natural sweetness, etc. In a darker roast, the flavors that begin to dominate are those imparted by the roasting process itself–smokiness, bitterness, and caramelization. Because darker roasts tend to taste more like the roast than the bean, lower-quality, commercial-grade coffee is often roasted dark to mask imperfections.

Perhaps you’re inclined toward a particular roast level–light, medium, or dark. If you’ve been a customer of ours for any length of time, you know that we’ve moved away from categorizing coffees by roast level.

This is because our motto here at Sagebrush is to put on display the hard work of coffee producers. We source high-quality specialty coffee direct from origin. We have no desire to mask the delicious flavors inherent to the bean with a dark roast–in fact, we want to showcase them! While the exact roast varies from bean to bean, this almost always results in a lighter roast.

Like people, every bean is different. There is such a wide variety of variables–variety, country of origin, how it was processed–that every bean needs its own individually-tailored roast profile. This is our roaster, Sarah’s, specialty. Before you get a bag of Sagebrush coffee, it has already been roasted multiple ways to find the ideal roast profile for that particular bean.

Our mission as a roastery is to showcase the hard work that has come before us in the supply chain, to showcase the hard work done at origin, and one of the clearest ways we do this is by letting the bean’s natural flavors take the spotlight—not the roast.

At its core, coffee is an agricultural product just like bananas or avocados. It begins as a plant that produces coffee cherries. That’s right–actual cherries. Unlike traditional cherries (of the Rosaceae family), these cherries (from the Rubiaceae family) contain two seeds, each surrounded by a layer of fruity, sugary pulp. And these seeds are what we call coffee beans!

Once the cherries have been selectively picked for ripeness, they are transported to a processing mill where a world of possibilities await. The term ‘coffee processing’ refers to everything that happens to the coffee cherry after it’s picked but before it’s packaged.

Sorting

The first thing that happens at every mill is sorting. Even with selective hand-picking, unripe or defective cherries can slip through. In specialty coffee, once the cherries arrive at the mill, they are immersed in water and the defective cherries (also called ‘floaters’ because they float to the top) are skimmed off.

From there, coffee can be processed in three main ways: washed, natural, and honey. While there are actually more methods than just these—each with its own nuances and variables-–this article will keep it simple and just skim the surface of processing with the ones most commonly used.

Processing

The most common method, the washed process (or, wet process), begins with depulping the cherry—removing the outer skin and fruit from the seeds. The seeds are then placed in fermentation tanks filled with water, where the remaining sticky mucilage layer naturally breaks down and is washed away before the beans are laid out to dry in the sun.

The natural process (or, dry process) skips depulping. The cherries are laid out whole to dry in the sun on patios or raised beds. Over 3 to 6 weeks, they are regularly turned to prevent mold and ensure even drying. During this time, the beans ferment inside the intact fruit, absorbing sugars and developing sweetness. Once fully dried, machines remove the dried skin and pulp.

A hybrid of the washed and natural methods, the honey process depulps the cherry, but leaves the sticky, sweet layer of mucilage on. The beans are then dried in the sun, allowing the sugars to ferment the coffee and impart sweetness.

What all three of these processes have in common is fermentation.

When we think of fermentation, drinks like beer, wine, or kombucha usually come to mind. But did you know coffee goes through fermentation too? After coffee cherries are harvested, natural microbes—like yeast and bacteria—go to work, breaking down sugars in the fruit or mucilage that surrounds the beans and imparting unique flavor compounds. While some producers take this a step further, experimenting with their own unique methods, all coffee beans go through some form of fermentation in their journey to get to the cup.

After coffee beans have been processed, they are ready for the next step of their journey: the roast!

One of the things we love to be at Sagebrush is a resource for coffee education. So, if you've ever wondered what coffee actually is or where it comes from, keep reading to learn about the first step in the wondrous journey of coffee: the crop!

Believe it or not, coffee isn’t a bean—it’s a seed! All specialty coffee comes from the fruit of the Coffea Arabica plant, which produces cherries each year. Inside each cherry are two seeds, which we call coffee beans. Coffee farmers, before they plant this crop, must first make a critical decision--which variety do I plant?

In the same way apples have different varieties which each have their own distinct taste and texture (Granny Smith, Fuji, Red Delicious, etc.), coffee varieties are the same way! A Bourbon, a Pacamara, and a Geisha are all Arabica varieties, but they look and taste differently. Within Coffea Arabica, there are thousands of varieties (you can read about the history of how these came to be here) and each one has an impact on the acidity, body, sweetness, etc. of the final cup.

But while taste and texture matter, a farmer has to take other things into consideration as well. Which varietal is most productive and therefore most profitable? Which varietal is most resistant to coffee plant disease? Which varietal would grow best at this altitude?

Once this decision is made, the crop is planted...and then the farmer waits...for three to four years! This is how long it takes for a typical Coffee Arabica plant to produce its first substantial harvest of coffee cherries.

When the plant finally produces its cherries and is ready for harvest, the next crucial step in the journey of coffee arrives: how the cherries are picked. If you've ever heard the phrase 'cherry picking', you get the idea. Ideally, farmers only want to pick the ripest, reddest, juiciest, cherries at their peak level of sweetness because those produce the best-tasting coffee. But because cherries ripen at different times throughout the season, many farmers take the far more efficient approach of 'strip-picking' their cherries--meaning, they mechanically strip the whole branch of cherries at once, thus mixing ripe, overripe, and unripe cherries. This is where a lot of commercial grade coffee comes from, why it's cheaper, and why its quality is not nearly as good as specialty coffee.

One of the reasons specialty coffee carries a higher price tag is because we source from farms who hand pick each and every coffee cherry at their optimal ripeness. This method is clearly more labor-intensive and costly for farmers, but it yields a much higher quality coffee. Once harvested, the cherries are hauled down (often steep!) mountainsides and transported to a mill for processing. Even once it reaches the processing mill, the coffee cherry’s journey is just getting started!

Costa Rica’s Longstanding Commitment to Excellence 

Costa Rica (kow•stuh ree•kuh) has a long history of being committed to excellence in coffee. Point in fact: they had a country-wide ban on the production of Robusta (a coffee plant that produces much lower quality coffee) and only grew Arabica coffee as a country for thirty years. This commitment has paid off on the global stage of coffee as Costa Rican coffee has widely become known for its bright, clean, beautiful cups.

Historically, coffee has been a major driver of the Costa Rican economy, although in recent years, this has shifted. High indebtedness among coffee producers, exchange rate challenges, labor shortages, unseasonable rain, and lower international prices have all contributed to a 50% drop in coffee producers from twenty years ago. Although the amount of coffee coming out of Costa Rica may be decreasing (exporting about 1 million bags annually), the quality is not. Still, ranked 17th in global coffee production, Costa Rica knows what it takes to produce high quality coffee beans and has been doing so for over 200 years. 

Costa Rican Coffee History and Geography  

Rich volcanic soil paired with the perfect tropical climate for growing Arabica beans results in flavor profiles that are extraordinarily rich, full-bodied, and clean. Since the early 19th century, coffee has been more than a crop for the Costa Rican people–it has been a way of life. After the country declared independence from Spain in 1821, the government handed out coffee seeds to encourage production. As well as distributing beans, the Costa Rican government further promoted coffee by making it a tax-exempt crop which led to the mass exportation of coffee. Exportation began around 1832 and was primarily shipped to Panama and Chile but eventually was exported all the way to England. 

For a while, coffee was the sole export product of Costa Rica. Because of this economic boom, the infrastructure of Costa Rica improved tremendously. Railroads were built, hospitals and post offices were fully funded, and the culture progressed by developing theaters, libraries, and universities. Today, 90% of the coffee plantations are owned by producers, keeping the money local and making the beans easily traceable to small-town farmers. It is truly incredible to see how something as small as a coffee bean can completely change the economy and status of an entire country.

Costa Rican Coffee Flavor Profile  

Costa Rica is known to have some of the best coffee flavor profiles in South and Central America. The high-grown altitudes and rich, volcanic soil result in cups bursting with pleasant acidity and crisp taste. Not only that, because of its diverse terrain, Costa Rica produces a wide range of flavor profiles. From the bright acidity and heavy aromas found in the Tarrazú region to the peach and apricot notes found in the Occidental region, Costa Rican coffee really does have something for everyone. 

But what really makes Costa Rican coffee unique right now is how invested they are as a country in taking coffee to the next level in creating hybrid varieties. They are investing in research and development at a scientific level right now in a way that is literally bearing fruit in the new and interesting cups that are coming out of Costa Rica. 

While Costa Rican’s production volume may be relatively small compared to other countries, its uniqueness and quality make this country a standout when it comes to coffee and makes us thrilled to bring it to you!

Shop Coffee from Costa Rica

Welcome to the wonderful world of coffee processing–where how coffee beans are processed bring excitement and diversity in flavor to every cup!

If you’ve spent any amount of time perusing specialty coffee, you’ve probably run across terms like ‘washed’, ‘natural’, or ‘honey processed’ and wondered what they mean and whether they make any difference in how your coffee tastes.

The answer is yes.

A processing method is simply the technique used to transform a ripe coffee cherry into the green coffee ‘beans’ that are exported to roasters. Exactly how coffee cherries are plucked, washed, and dried influences the end result of mouthfeel, aroma, and taste.

If you’ve been reading this and have tripped over the word ‘cherry’ a few times, that’s right: coffee isn’t really a bean. It’s actually the seed of a fruit– specifically, a coffee cherry! While coffee cherries are different from the regular cherries we eat, they are the same in that they have seeds in the middle surrounded by sugary, fruity pulp which eventually become what we know as coffee ‘beans’.

In order to get from cherries growing on a tree to the beans we grind into coffee, much has to happen. The cherries have to be picked at their peak ripeness (by hand, in specialty coffee) and then transported to a processing mill where they are first sorted for ripeness and defects. Then, the cherries are ready to be processed in one of three main ways: washed, natural, and honey. We’ve discussed natural and honey processed coffees elsewhere, but in this article, we will be discussing the most common method of coffee processing: the washed process.

Washed Processing

In a washed process (also known as ‘wet’ processed) coffee, the coffee cherries that have passed inspection are de-pulped, meaning they’re sent through a machine that removes the skin and outer pulp of the fruit. Once de-pulped, the cherries are then soaked in water and agitated in some form of fermentation tank. This can be as fancy as a stainless steel tank or as simple as a bucket, depending on the means and resources available. While fermenting, the microbes already present on the coffee seeds go to work breaking down the final, sticky, sweet layer of mucilage that clings to the seeds. This process can take anywhere from a few hours to a few days, and can look quite different from mill to mill. Whenever the fermentation step is complete, the beans are then rinsed and ready to be dried–either on raised beds outside or with a mechanical dryer.

The washed process is the most common of all the methods for two reasons: reliability and favor consistency. Because washed processing allows for more control over the fermentation process, the chances of the crop being spoiled is far lower. Washed coffees are also the most consistent in producing successful flavors of all the processes because the variables affecting taste are minimized. The downside of washed coffees is that they are water-intensive, which is a problem for producers in places where water is not abundant. This process is also traditionally more expensive. The tradeoff here tends to be worth it for producers, however, since washed coffee is still the most common processing method out there.

How Does Processing Affect Flavor?

The word “clean” is often used to describe the flavors of washed coffees. You can read about the how and why of our flavor profiles at Sagebrush here, but for now, let’s define what the coffee industry means when they describe a coffee as “clean”.

Unlike the natural and honey processes, where a lot of the flavor comes from the fruity sugars of the pulp left on the beans, most of the flavor found in washed coffees comes from the bean itself. You tend to get more of the characteristics unique to that origin and variety of bean. For example, a Latin American washed coffee will show more of the chocolatey or nutty notes that are prevalent in that region.

Though washed coffees are the most common, this doesn’t mean they’re boring! In fact, at Sagebrush, washed coffees are typically our best-sellers as they almost always produce a cleaner cup with a lively acidity.

Check out some of the amazing washed coffees we have here! 

To understand coffee varietals, let’s think about apples. 

Granny Smith, Fuji, and Red Delicious are all apples, but each variety has its own unique physical characteristics, color, shape, and most importantly; flavor profile. 

Coffee is the exact same way. 

The coffee plant has subsets of varieties, each with its own characteristics. A Bourbon, a Pacamara, and a Geisha variety are all Arabica cherries, but each has its own subset of differences from one another. For example, a Geisha bean will be more floral than a Bourbon, a Catuai will be more acidic than a Typica, and so on.  

It’s easy to make these distinctions when the fruits are on display, but what makes coffee so nuanced is the fact that we are completely removing the fruit, breaking down the whole anatomy of the seed itself, and altering the seed’s color by roasting it. The coffee process whittles down those once obvious distinctions in the coffee cherries to a now fine-tuned set of micro differences.  

But let’s back up for a minute to make sure we understand what coffee actually is. 

Believe it or not, coffee is not a bean at all; it is a seed, and from that seed grows what we refer to as the coffee tree. Generally, that coffee tree produces fruit every year, making the coffee world work on a yearly cycle. Thankfully for us, different countries' rotation cycles are at other points of the year, so we can enjoy fresh coffee crops all year round.  

What we call a variety is a variation of the Arabica plant. There are two main coffee species from which all coffee varieties come: Arabica and Robusta. However, we are only concerned with the  Arabica species as the vast majority of specialty coffee is Arabica and not Robusta, due to Robusta’s bitterness and lack of complexity.  

Now that we have a basic understanding of what coffee is, let’s dive deeper into the world of coffee varieties.

Where Do Varieties Come From?

To answer this, we have to go back. Way back. 

To the 1500s and to Ethiopia. See, most coffee traces back to Ethiopia where, to this day, there are thousands of unclassified coffee varieties, often known as “Heirloom” or “landrace” varieties.

But back around the 1400s or 1500s, someone took one of these coffee plant varieties, known as Typica, and transported it to Yemen. From there, it was cultivated in India. Bit by bit, seeds were planted elsewhere–first Indonesia, then Europe, then the Americas. 

What developed from there was the three general ways we get different varieties of coffee outside of the native Ethiopian landrace varieties: Natural Mutations, Natural Hybrids, and Engineered Hybrids. 

Natural Mutations:

In the 18th century, the French brought Typica to the island of Bourbon (pronounced: “boar-bone”-today, the island of Réunion) and something amazing happened! 

Growing in the soil of Bourbon, the plant mutated! In comic books, mutations are generally considered a bad thing. But in the world of coffee, they are a portal to a new world of flavor possibilities!

This particular mutation resulted in physical differences (bright green new shoots as opposed to the bronze of Typica, a bushier plant), but the most important distinction was its productivity! In addition to producing higher yields of coffee cherries, its flavor profile changed. The coffee it produced was sweeter and more complex. Suddenly, the Bourbon variety was born!

A similar thing happened when this new Bourbon variety was taken from the island of Bourbon and planted in Brazil. Growing in Brazil, it mutated into a shorter, more compact, and more productive variety we now know as Caturra, which means “small”. 

So, many varieties are simply the result of the same kind of plant being planted in a different country’s soil and mutating naturally into something else. 

Natural Hybrids:

From there, we get even more varieties through natural hybrids. 

When two different varieties are planted in the same region, they sometimes cross breed naturally. Take the Mundo Novo variety. When the Typica variety was planted in Brazil for the first time in the 1940s, it bred naturally with the Bourbon variety growing in the same region, creating a natural hybrid that had higher yields, lower susceptibility to plant disease, and a better cup quality: the Mundo Novo variety! 

Engineered Hybrids:

With cross breeding of varieties occurring naturally, it was only a matter of time before researchers began artificially cross breeding varieties by creating cultivars (or, plant varieties produced in cultivation by selective breeding) to see what they could come up with. 

For example, when the Mundo Novo variety was discovered, the Instituto Agronomico of Brazil (IAC) took it and bred it with the Caturra variety to see if they could produce a smaller, more efficient plant (from the Caturra) that also produced high yields and had a higher cup quality (from the Mundo Novo). 

They were successful! The Catuai variety was officially born. With artificial hybrids a possibility, the sky is the limit. Scientists all over the globe are constantly experimenting with creating new hybrids as they look for the perfect combination of resistance to pests and diseases, high fruit yields, weather resistance, better tasting results, etc. 

Today, nearly every major coffee-producing country has their own institute for researching coffee, always striving to find that next great variety. 

An Overview of 9 Common Coffee Varieties

We’ve just introduced you to the history of 5 of the 9 most common coffee varieties–Typica, Bourbon, Caturra, Mundo Novo, and Catuai. Now, let’s explore four others and discuss what flavor profiles each of these varieties is known for. 

Keep in mind when we discuss flavor profiles here that these are the flavor notes typical of such varieties. However, there can be great differences in flavor profiles depending on the terroir and region in which a particular variety is grown. 

The best way to think about how each of these varieties relates to each other is to think of a family tree–all under the umbrella name of the Arabica variety with two primary parents that started it all: the Typica and Bourbon varieties. 

Typica:

As discussed above, the Typica variety is one of two original coffee varieties (the other being Bourbon) that was taken from Ethiopia, bred, and cross-bred all over the world. 

Its flavor notes have a deep, sweet-and-savory characteristic containing chocolate and nutty notes, sometimes even with fruit or floral notes depending on the region in which it is grown. 

Bourbon (a natural mutation of Typica):

Even though we describe it as one of the parents of all other varieties, Bourbon is actually a mutation of the Typica variety, as noted above. From this variety come many others, as we’ll see.

Bourbon is both sweet and complex, with a round body and bright acidity.

Mundo Novo (a natural hybrid of Typica and Bourbon):

First discovered in Brazil in 1943, this natural cross breeding allowed for characteristics of both parent varieties to come through. 

Mundo Novo is known for being well-balanced and full-bodied, smooth on the palate, with notes of chocolate, nuttiness, sometimes fruit, with low to medium acidity. 

Caturra (a natural mutation of Bourbon):

Discovered in the early 1900s in Brazil, this variety of Bourbon was called “Caturra” after a single gene mutated and shrank its internodal distance (the distance between branches). A shorter, more productive and compact form of Bourbon, this variety is very popular and widely cultivated today.

Caturra is known to have bright acidity with notes of fruit or citrus. Its sweet vibrancy and good cup quality makes it popular in the specialty coffee world. 

Catuai (an artificial, or engineered, cross between Mundo Novo and Caturra):

Engineered by the Instituto Agronomico of Brazil (IAC), this variety is prized for its ability to grow in a variety of conditions and maintain a good cup quality. 

Catuai balances sweetness and acidity, producing a clean cup with notes of chocolate, caramel, nuts, and citrus. 

Maragogipe (a natural mutation of Typica):

Discovered near the city of Maragogipe in Brazil in 1870, this Typica mutation causes the coffee seeds, internodal spacing, and leaves to be much larger than normal due to a single gene mutation.

Reminiscent of some of Typica’s flavor profile, Maragogipe is a little spicier with some bell pepper-esque notes coming through. 

Pacamara (an artificial, or engineered, cross between Paca and Maragogipe):

The Pacamara variety is an artificial cross of two natural mutations of Typica: the Paca and Maragogipe varieties. 

When the Bourbon variety was planted in El Salvador, it mutated into the Paca variety. It was discovered in 1949 on a farm owned by the Pacas family in El Salvador and marked as distinct in that the plant was smaller in size than a typical Bourbon plant and having higher yields. 

Similarly, when the Typica variety was planted in the Maragogipe province of Brazil, it mutated into the Maragogipe variety, marked by being much larger in size, with larger leaves, larger cherries, and–while not producing as high of yields–producing higher cup quality.   

With these two varieties available, the Salvadoran Institute for Coffee Research in El Salvador (ISIC) crossed them successfully to create the Pacamara varietal in 1958. While it's grown in other Central American countries, El Salvador remains the primary source for Pacamara beans. The name "Pacamara" is derived from the first four letters of the names of its parent varietals, Pacas and Maragogipe.

Pacamara is known to be complex in its flavor profile, often having notes of citrus, chocolate, and red berries. It is well-balanced with a medium body. 

Geisha (an Ethiopian landrace variety):

Geisha, or Gesha, is the most prominent of the Ethiopian landrace varieties. Though native to Ethiopia, the Geisha variety only became well-known once it was planted in Panama in the 1960s.  

After years of perfecting the Gesha coffee plant, the Hacienda la Esmeralda farm introduced Gesha beans at the 2004 "Best of Panama" coffee auction. The taste evaluators were floored with the unique flavors, and the acclaim of Gesha beans blew up worldwide overnight. Due to the overwhelming popularity and limited supply, they became the most expensive coffees in the world. 

Flavor notes of Geisha are unique in their fruity and floral characteristics. Though they can vary by region, common notes are mango, guava, papaya, and citrus. 

SL 28 (a single-tree, Bourbon-related research selection variety):

In the early 20th century, when Kenya was under British colonial rule, scientists at the Scott Agricultural Laboratories (where the "SL" comes from) were tasked with developing coffee varieties that would do well in the local environment. In the 1930s, two varieties were selected from these efforts both for their adaptability, as well as their high cup quality. SL28 was one of these selections. 

Soon, SL28 spread beyond the borders of Kenya’s all the way over to Latin America where this variety is prized for the same reasons it was prized in Kenya. 

The flavor profile of SL 28 is known to be fruit-forward and chocolatey with good acidity. 

These are some of the most common varietals out there today, but given mutations, hybrids, and the amount of research being done to find that next great variety, the portal to this world of coffee is still wide open. Give it a few years and a whole new article will need to be written to explore new varieties!

In the same way, coffee farmers are constantly on the lookout for that perfect coffee variety that is both productive and easy to grow; not susceptible to plant disease and still produces a delicious cup of coffee. 

And every once in a while as they experiment, they create a variety that is close to being “just right”--like Catuai!

With its balanced flavors bursting with notes of chocolatey caramel and rich honey, Catuai as a variety has become extremely popular over the years. 

But let’s make sure that we understand what a coffee variety actually is. 

What Are Coffee Varieties

Every coffee bean begins as the seed of a bright red cherry growing on the Coffea Arabica plant. 

But within the Coffea Arabica species, there are literally thousands of distinct varieties–each  with its own genetic differences that affect the flavor, aroma, and quality.

It’s like apples. 

All apple trees belong to the same species, but the fruit they produce varies in texture, acidity, sweetness, and color (think a Granny Smith vs a Red Delicious). 

Coffee varieties work the same way. 

Some produce large beans or are more productive. Others are more resistant to plant disease or taste much sweeter. 

But how do we get different coffee varieties? 

In one of three main ways: natural mutations, natural cross-breeding, and human-engineered hybrids. 

Researchers in the last hundred years have increasingly turned to engineering hybrids–where existing “parent” varieties of the Coffea Arabica plant are selected and crossbred for specific, valuable traits. 

This was how the Catuai variety was born!

History of Catuai

Back in the 1940s, researchers at the Instituto Agronomico (IAC) of Brazil chose Caturra–a natural mutation of the Bourbon variety known for its compact size and productivity–as part of a crossbreed program. 

To balance out Caturra’s downside (high susceptibility to plant disease), they crossbred it with the Mundo Novo variety–a natural crossbreed of Typica and Bourbon, known for its high yields and low susceptibility to plant disease. 

The goal? To create a smaller, more efficient plant that also produced high yields and a higher cup quality. They were successful! 

Due to its compactness, Catuai can be planted at nearly double the density of other varieties, significantly increasing its productivity and efficiency. In addition, its smaller size makes it ideal for picking and applying disease treatments. 

But perhaps most importantly, it reliably produces a balanced, delicious, quality cup of coffee.

Today, this variety is widely cultivated in Brazil and Central America, but most notably in Costa Rica, Guatemala, and Honduras. In Costa Rica, especially, the Caturra and Catuai varieties together account for roughly 90% of all coffee production! 

All of that breeding and cultivation leads to what really matters to us—the taste in the cup!

Catuai Flavor Profile

Catuai translates in the Guarani language to “very good”. And it lives up to its name! 

Opening with a fragrance of toasted nuts and sugar, Catuai has notes of caramel, chocolate, and nuttiness, all of which are balanced and clean on the palate with a smooth, silky mouthfeel. Depending on its terroir and processing, it can range from crisp and refined to syrupy and sweet. 

To some it might not be everything, but to many, Catuai is “just right”.  

I’ve been wanting to sit down and write this for weeks. It’s been a wild stretch of travel — four origin trips in six weeks was a whirlwind — and I’m finally catching my breath and starting to share some of the experiences from the first trip.

Back in mid-February, I had the chance to head down to Guatemala, and I want to share a bit of what I saw, felt, and learned — because this is exactly why we do what we do at Sagebrush. We set out to spend time with the Villatoro family, visit their farms, and get a deeper understanding of what makes their coffees (and their community) so special.

Along the way, we visited two main farms: Punta del Cerro and Hoja Blanco. It ended up being one of those trips that will seap into every coffee conversation for years to come — relationally, personally, and, of course, as a coffee buyer who cares about every bag of green coffee that comes through our doors.

And honestly? This trip reminded me, in a big way, why I cannot believe I get to do this for a living.

Edwin Martinez: More Than a Host

One of the biggest highlights was spending real, quality time with Edwin Martinez from Onyx Coffee. Edwin’s family has been growing coffee in Huehuetenango since 1957, and he’s seen just about every swing the industry can throw at you. He’s not just a connector between roasters like us and producers like the Villatoros — he’s a deep well of wisdom and perspective.

Over the course of the trip, we had a lot of honest conversations about the state of coffee right now. If you’ve been following the market, you know it’s been wild. Prices are high, inventories are tight, Brazil’s not selling like usual, and there’s just a lot of uncertainty. Edwin summed it up well: “No one’s getting the predictability they want, but you can probably build what you need.”

That mindset really stuck with me. As someone responsible for keeping our coffee lineup at Sagebrush full of incredible, farm-focused-relationship coffees, I appreciated the reminder that in times like this, progress isn’t about waiting for perfect conditions. It’s about making smart, steady moves forward and relying closely on the relationships we’ve built over the years.

Punta del Cerro: A Record-Breaking Day

Once we hit Huehue, we went to their warehouse and cupping room. Right away there was this wild moment where we took coffee straight off the drying beds, ran it through dry milling, roasted it, and cupped it — all within about 45 minutes. I’ve never tasted coffee that fresh in my life. It’s one of those once-in-a-lifetime experiences that gives you a whole new appreciation for what goes into every cup.  It also was the best coffee on the table.  I asked Rodin if he decides not to submit it to Cup of Excellence, let me know and I’d buy it, but I’m not holding my breath.

After lunch, we drove to Punta del Cerro and walked right into history. We pulled into the driveway and I counted nine 80s and 90s era Toyota pickups all loaded down with bags of coffee cherry. They were in the midst of processing more coffee cherry than any single day in the history of the farm. The energy on the farm was electric — you could feel it.

After that busy day we crashed in various rooms of the farm and I later found out that the room they put me in was Don Aurelio’s bedroom.

The next more it looks like rain. We were out at the drying patios when the sky started to go dark. One of the guys asked Don Aurelio what they do when it rains on the coffee. Without skipping a beat, he handed him a rake and said, “Big piles.”

So we all jumped in, spent the next hour raking hundreds of pounds of parchment coffee into protective mounds to keep it safe from the rain. It was a moment that really captured the spirit of the place — quick thinking, teamwork, and a lot of hands-on hard work.  It was a highlight of the trip for most of us.

We also got to watch his son, Rodin Villatoro, work his craft. Rodin is part of the next generation of leadership on the farm, and it shows. He’s got degrees in agronomy, agriculture, and forestry, and he’s bringing a ton of technical knowledge and innovation to the family’s already strong foundation. Watching him load cherries into anaerobic fermentation tanks for a 10-day fermentation process was like watching a master at work.

Hoja Blanco: Family, Faith, and Craftsmanship

Hoja Blanco brought a different, equally special energy. Spending time in Don Aurelio’s home was a real privilege. His hospitality is legendary, but what stood out most to me was how deeply his faith in God shapes everything he does. From the way he welcomes guests to the way he leads his family and farm, his faith is at the center of it all.

They also had their new mechanical dryer running, which is a game-changer. Weather patterns are less predictable, and this dryer helps them manage parchment drying much more consistently. For us as buyers, that means quality stays high even in challenging conditions.

Conversations That Matter

Beyond the farms themselves, what made this trip so meaningful were the conversations. With Edwin, with the Villatoros, and with the other coffee folks who came along for the trip.

We talked a lot about the realities of this year’s c-market. Prices are high, and volatility is the name of the game. But there’s an opportunity in that, too. One of the big takeaways for me was the importance of steady, thoughtful action — forward contracts, strategic planning, and maintaining the long-term relationships that give us access to these exceptional coffees in the first place.

Reflections and Gratitude

Trips like this remind me why Sagebrush exists. They remind me why I spend the time and energy to travel to the farms, shake hands with producers, and see the work with my own eyes. It’s not just about finding great coffee — though we absolutely did that — it’s about knowing the people behind the coffee and sharing their stories with you.

From breaking records at Punta del Cerro to raking parchment in the rain, to sitting at Don Aurelio’s table and soaking in the beauty of Hoja Blanco, this trip was personal. It deepened my respect for the Villatoro family, my friendship with Edwin, and my commitment to bringing you not just great coffee, but coffee with a story and a purpose.

Thanks for letting me share this with you. And thanks for caring about where your coffee comes from. I can’t wait for you to taste the results of this trip in your cup.

Edwin teaching us what a Maragogype looks like

Arriving at Punta Del Cerro

Rodin Villatoro overseeing a fermentation

New mechanical dryer doing it's thing

Don Aurelio

At Sagebrush Coffee, we don’t just buy coffee. We build relationships. Real ones. And as we kick off our Producer Spotlight series, I can’t think of anyone better to start with than Anny Ruth Pimentel and her husband, Jeff Coursen — two people who have played a huge role in shaping how I see and source coffee.

My Journey with Jeff: The Early Days of Sagebrush

Back in the early days of Sagebrush, I met Jeff while I was buying from Bodhi Leaf Coffee in California. He was my sales rep, but right away he became so much more than that — a mentor who taught me to think critically about coffee quality, understand direct trade relationships, and start developing a palate before I had any formal cupping experience.

In 2016, Jeff and Anny were doing what I like to call a “reverse origin” trip across the U.S. — visiting roasters, telling their story, and sharing coffees from Loma La Gloria. That’s when I got to meet them in person for the first time at the Sagebrush shop. It was one of those moments you look back on and realize it was the start of something much bigger.

Their relationship — both personal and professional — blossomed quickly, and in 2018, Jeff and Anny got married. Since then, our friendship has only grown deeper. They’ve visited Sagebrush many times over the years, and I’ve even had the privilege of meeting their beautiful daughter. But it wasn’t until March of this year that I finally got to experience their world firsthand.

El Salvador: Experiencing Loma La Gloria

This past March, my daughter Eden and I traveled to El Salvador to visit Anny’s farm in person. Jeff graciously hosted us, and in true Jeff fashion, went above and beyond. He didn’t just take us to the farm — he gave us a full cultural immersion.

We explored ancient ruins, visited volcanoes, and soaked in stories about El Salvadoran history — from its rich indigenous past to the country’s complex modern story. Jeff’s depth of knowledge made the trip about so much more than coffee. It gave us a true understanding of the heart of El Salvador and the community that brings these coffees to life.

But the real highlight was seeing Loma La Gloria up close.

When we arrived, I immediately saw why Anny’s coffees consistently exceed expectations. The farm radiates attention to detail. It’s one of the healthiest coffee farms I’ve ever visited anywhere in the world. Even more impressive is how they prioritize their people.

They’re not just satisfied with producing incredible coffee today — they’re investing in an even brighter future. New worker housing is under construction, the mill has been expanded, and they’re even in the process of building a new dry mill. Everything about the operation reflects care, growth, and a deep respect for both the craft and the community.

We had the incredible opportunity to cup coffees with Francisco, the farm manager, and Don Joaquin, who helps oversee the farm in Anny and her father’s absence. Fun fact: Don Joaquin owns land nearby and uses Loma La Gloria’s wet mill to process his cherries. Some of the coffees we tasted from Don Joaquin’s harvest were right up there with Anny’s — a testament to the quality of processing at Loma La Gloria.

Anny Ruth: The Visionary Farmer

Anny’s story is one of perseverance and passion. Her father, Roberto Pimentel, laid the foundation by purchasing the farm in the late ’90s, but it was Anny who brought it to life. Though she originally aspired to run a coffee shop, she realized her greater impact would come from elevating her family’s farm.

She learned every aspect of coffee production, from milling to roasting to cupping, and transformed Loma La Gloria from a struggling farm into a global name in specialty coffee. In the face of challenges like the 2014 coffee leaf rust outbreak, she didn’t back down — she doubled down, processing their harvest at their own mill for the first time and setting a new standard for quality.

Anny’s passion shows in every aspect of the farm, from the immaculate trees to the innovative honey processes that produce the signature flavors we love at Sagebrush Coffee. And her partnership with Jeff has only made their operation stronger.

The Huskies of Loma La Gloria — and a Shared Love for Dogs

One of the most charming parts of Anny’s brand is her beloved huskies. While they no longer roam the fields of Loma La Gloria, they’re still very much a part of her life and her story. The huskies remain constant companions and an important part of her brand identity. If you follow Loma La Gloria on social media, you’ve likely seen them making regular appearances — a playful and loyal reflection of Anny’s spirit.

That love for dogs is something we share deeply at Sagebrush Coffee. Just like our own branding, which often features our four-legged friends, Anny’s huskies are a perfect reflection of the warmth and joy that define not just her coffee, but her family and her story. It’s just one more reason our partnership feels like such a natural fit.

More Than Producers: They’re Friends and Partners

Anny and Jeff represent everything we believe in when it comes to direct trade. They’re not just names on an invoice — they’re our friends. They’ve helped us build connections with producers across El Salvador, Costa Rica, and Colombia. They’ve shared their wisdom, opened their doors, and welcomed us into their family.

Every time we roast a bag of Loma La Gloria coffee, we’re reminded of the incredible journey that brought it here — and the remarkable people (and dogs!) behind it.

So here’s to Anny and Jeff. To their dedication, their friendship, and their vision for coffee that’s not just good, but great for generations to come.

Stay tuned for more Producer Spotlights as we continue to share the stories of the incredible people who make Sagebrush Coffee what it is today.

Have you ever thought about why you love coffee? Have you ever taken a step back and thought about your favorite things about coffee? As the branding manager and one of the primary marketing strategists of Sagebrush, I’m actually paid to figure that type of stuff out. We here at Sagebrush love coffee for many reasons; it’s not merely the taste, it’s not merely the routine, in fact, the primary reason we love coffee is “connection.”

We dedicate a lot of time to connect with those from whom we source coffee (how can we put on display the hard work of coffee producers if we’re not seeing their work?). That time is primarily spent at origin interacting with the importers and farmers directly. This past month (March 2025), Matt has trekked to Guatemala, Costa Rica, Panama, and El Salvador and in October of 2024 he visited Colombia as well. Each of these trips all had the same goal: connection. At Sagebrush, we are seeking to be as focused as we can to showcase the producers that are actually providing us with these exquisite beans. In fact, our goal this year is to have interacted with, cupped with, had conversations, and/or spent a meal together with the producers of 90% of the volume of coffee we’re offering this year.

And this leads me to the project I've had the opportunity to develop these past few months: a bag redesign and a product refresh. I love these kinds of projects. As someone who is very creatively inclined, I find it so rewarding to refine and elevate the experience the customer receives through our coffees. It excites me to know the work I’ve been putting into this project for almost half a year now will finally reach those who purchase from us. And although the new bags do look visually better, the primary purpose of this redesign is actually connection. 

Coffee is valuable because it connects us to others. Even in its core function of caffeination, the energy gained from this drink enables those who consume it to further connect themselves with others. In this redesign, we look backward into the supply chain. We communicate more clearly who it is you’re connecting to through the coffee that you purchase. We look at the producers, we put faces to names, we bring value to this bean in a more direct way than we ever have before. Our new bags as well as our new naming system reflects this intention. Coffees now are titled with the furthest traceability that we have, which for 90% of our coffees, reaches the producer themself. 

Our personal connection with producers throughout the world is something we take pride in here at Sagebrush, and it is my job to push that connection along to you, the one who is investing in us, the one who supports us in our journey as a specialty coffee roastery. Thank you for your support, and I hope you feel cool using our new bags! Thanks

What's Going On with the C Market and How Does It Affect Us

The C market has become the coffee industry's biggest talking point. From origin to roastery, everyone's feeling the impact of wild price swings.

So what drives these price changes, and why should specialty coffee drinkers care about commodity market movements?

Understanding coffee as a commodity

Coffee is delicious, yes, but it's also an agricultural commodity like cacao, wheat, or soybeans. While people love to say coffee is the second most traded commodity after oil, that's actually not true: coffee ranks around 98th among traded products. Still, with global coffee exports hitting $42.3 billion in 2023 and jumping to $51.2 billion in 2024, coffee remains a massive agricultural export that supports 12.5 million smallholder farming families according to Enveritas research.

Because coffee grows all over the world and gets traded globally, the industry needed a standard pricing system. Enter the C market.

How the C market works

The C market gets its name from "Centrals" – the Central American producers who helped create it. Traded on ICE Futures U.S., this market deals in futures contracts for commodity-grade, washed Arabica green coffee from 20 approved countries.

Unlike buying stocks today, coffee futures are contracts to buy or sell coffee at set prices on specific future dates. Each contract covers 37,500 pounds of green coffee, about 250 bags.

Like any commodity market, the C bounces around based on what affects production, harvest, and trade. Coffee leaf rust devastated Central America in 2012-2013, with Guatemala seeing 59-70% of its coffee lands affected. Weather events mess with supply. Geopolitical tensions change consumption – Russia, the world's 8th largest coffee importer at 4.7 million bags a year, has cut imports since the Ukraine conflict began. The variables never stop.

Why prices are surging now

In 2023, the C market traded around $1.50-$2.00 per pound. By early 2025, futures shot up to $3.00-$3.50, with peaks over $4.00 in February. These are 13-year inflation-adjusted highs.

The culprit? Brazil's weather crisis.

Brazil produces 38% of global coffee, making it the market's kingpin. The country is experiencing its worst drought in over 70 years, with many regions going 120-130 days without rain in 2024. August 2024's frost damage made things worse, hitting key Arabica regions like Cerrado Mineiro and Alta Mogiana.

CONAB, Brazil's agricultural agency, cut their 2024/25 crop estimate to 54.79 million bags, down 6.8%. Robusta production faces worse losses – some regions report 60% drops. The 2025/26 crop looks rough too, as stressed trees struggle to flower.

When Brazil sneezes, the coffee world catches pneumonia. Buyers worldwide scramble to lock in supply, pushing futures higher as they secure forward contracts. This creates a feedback loop: higher C prices tempt producers to break existing contracts and sell to local mills for better spot prices. Sure, it's lucrative short-term, but defaults damage the long-term buyer relationships producers depend on.

Impact on specialty coffee

As a specialty roaster, we don't buy commodity-grade Arabica through the C market. We source direct from producers, focusing on quality over quantity, and we pay well above commodity prices.

But here's the thing – the C market still anchors our industry. Most specialty coffee trades on a "C plus differential" basis, where the final price equals the C market price plus a quality premium. When the floor rises, everything above it goes up too.

This creates a double whammy. First, we're paying way more to reserve future coffee shipments since our differentials stack on top of these elevated C prices. Second, this volatility looks structural rather than temporary, forcing us to balance realistic pricing with keeping coffee accessible for our customers.

Everyone in the supply chain feels this squeeze. Producers face tight margins and uncertain futures, torn between selling now at high prices or holding out for potentially better returns. Their decisions ripple through the market, affecting both availability and price stability.

Looking forward

Coffee pricing will probably stay volatile through 2025 and into 2026 as Brazil's production recovers. Weather patterns, especially La Niña conditions, will determine whether the 2025/26 harvest can make up for current shortfalls.

Right now, the industry needs measured responses, not panic. Producers need stable partnerships more than ever. Roasters must be transparent about pricing pressures while maintaining quality. Consumers should understand that higher prices reflect real supply problems, not profiteering.

The goal hasn't changed: connecting coffee lovers with exceptional coffees from dedicated producers. Market volatility tests these relationships, but it also shows why direct trade and quality premiums matter. By sticking to our commitments through tough cycles, we build a stronger supply chain.

These waves will settle. Until then, we focus on what matters: sourcing, roasting, and sharing remarkable coffees that earn their price through quality, not scarcity.

Sources

1. Perfect Daily Grind - Coffee Isn't World's 2nd-Most Traded Commodity
2. Statista - Leading Coffee Exporting Countries 2023
3. World's Top Exports - Coffee Exports by Country 2024
4. CARTO/Enveritas - Smallholder Coffee Farmers Analysis
5. ICE Futures - Coffee C Contract Specifications
6. Sprudge - What Is The C Market?
7. Statista - Biggest Coffee Importers Worldwide 2023
8. ScienceDirect - Coffee Leaf Rust Impact in Guatemala
9. Trading Economics - Coffee Price Charts
10. Perfect Daily Grind - Arabica Futures Over $4.30/lb
11. Visual Capitalist - Global Coffee Production 2024
12. Global Coffee Report - Brazil's Coffee Industry Recovery
13. StoneX - CONAB Revises Brazil Coffee Crop Estimate
14. Coffee Intelligence - Specialty Coffee and C Market
15. Sucafina - The Power of Differentials

Java’s Historical Journey & Perfect Growing Environment

Coffee grown in Indonesia is not a recent occurrence. In fact, Indonesia’s coffee origin story began 400 years ago. The genesis of Java coffee dates back to the 1600s when the Dutch colonialists first introduced coffee plants to the island of Java. Initially, coffee was planted to meet the demands of the European coffee market, and it thrived in the island’s fertile volcanic soil. By the 18th century, Java had become one of the largest coffee producers in the world, supplying Europe and beyond. Coffee became a luxury product and prices per kilogram were equivalent to several hundred dollars in our money today. Coffee cultivation flourished under Dutch colonial rule, with the establishment of large plantations, many of which still exist today. Over the years, Java coffee became a symbol of the island’s agricultural prowess and an integral part of global trade.

Java's geographic conditions play a crucial role in shaping the distinctive flavors of its coffee. The island’s volcanic soil, rich in minerals and nutrients, provides an ideal environment for coffee cultivation. The fertile highlands, with elevations ranging from 2,000 to 6,000 feet above sea level, offer the perfect climate with cool temperatures, abundant rainfall, and plenty of sunshine, ideal for growing high-quality Arabica beans. The island’s popular coffee-growing regions, such as the Ijen Plateau, Malabar, and the Dieng Plateau, are known for producing beans with a clean, well-balanced profile that appeals to coffee enthusiasts around the globe.

Farming Practices & Sustainability

Coffee farming on Java is often done on small family-owned farms, although there are still large plantations. Many farmers use traditional, sustainable methods that help preserve the island’s delicate ecosystems. Organic farming is increasingly popular, with many producers avoiding synthetic chemicals and fertilizers in favor of natural compost and organic pesticides. Java's farmers also employ techniques such as shade growing, where coffee plants are cultivated under the canopy of taller trees, which helps maintain biodiversity and prevent soil erosion. These sustainable practices not only protect the environment but also contribute to the distinctive qualities of Java coffee, ensuring that the beans are grown to balance and enhance the natural environment.

Java’s Flavor Profile & How it Compares to Sumatra

Java coffee is celebrated for its full-bodied, earthy flavor profile with hints of chocolate, nuts, and spice. It is often described as smooth and low-acid, with a clean, mellow finish. The island’s coffee beans, typically of the Arabica variety, have a mild sweetness balanced by subtle earthy tones that make them highly versatile. Java coffee is also known for its signature smoothness, which is attributed to both the climate and the careful processing methods employed by farmers. While some varieties are more robust and intense, others are lighter and more floral, offering a range of flavors to suit different palates. The mild acidity and rich body make it a favorite for coffee drinkers who appreciate a balanced, less acidic cup.

Java coffee and Sumatran coffee offer distinct flavor experiences due to differences in geography, climate, and processing methods. While both coffees are grown on the islands' volcanic soils, Java tends to produce a smoother, more balanced cup with a mild acidity and earthy, chocolatey notes. In contrast, Sumatran coffee is known for its bold, full-bodied profile, often with low acidity and complex earthy, herbal, and sometimes even smoky flavors. This difference is partly due to the unique wet-hulling method used in Sumatra, which creates a thicker, more intense coffee with a rich, often rustic taste. Java's typically cleaner, brighter profile contrasts the more intense, heavier characteristics found in Sumatran coffees, making each a distinct and unique interpretation of Indonesian coffee production.

Java Coffee Today

Despite the rise of coffee production in other regions, Java continues to hold a special place in the hearts of coffee lovers, who appreciate its deep history and exceptional quality. The island’s rich tradition of coffee farming, combined with modern sustainable practices, ensures that Java coffee will continue to be enjoyed for generations to come. Whether you prefer it as a classic cup of drip coffee, a rich espresso, or a flavorful cold brew, Java’s robust and complex coffee offers something for every coffee enthusiast. So the next time you sip on a cup of Java coffee, take a moment to appreciate its 400-year-old legacy and the dedication of the farmers who make it possible.

Written by Zoë Maiden

About two years ago Eden (my daughter) and I went to Costa Rica for a split coffee sourcing and father-daughter spring break trip. Every time I travel to origin, I feel like it is a life-changing experience and this trip was yet another example of that. About 25 years ago, when I was in my early days at Intel, I took my first trip to Costa Rica. I was blown away by the coffee, but back then I had no idea how much better it could get. I was also impressed with the scenery and fell in love with the people during my first visit. I traveled there about five times over a five-year period and had some of the best business trips of my life in that country. However, those trips stopped when I left Intel about 20 years ago. I missed Costa Rica and had yet to travel there for coffee. So, as I was planning my trips to origin for 2023, I made sure Costa Rica was at the top of my list.

One of my goals for the trip was to build a new coffee relationship with a producer that was working hard to elevate the coffee trade in the area around his farm.  This was easily accomplished when we met up with Jhonnathan Comacho.  I had bought coffee from him in the past, but it was all pre-Covid and in the aftermath of the pandemic, our relationship with him had fallen off and I was excited to finally meet him face-to-face and tour his farms. Jhonnathan is a local doctor who is now pursuing his dream of becoming a full-time coffee producer.  We met up with one of our export partners, Oxcart Coffee, and then drove off to find Jhonnathan.

Our first stop was the Aguilera Brother Micromill. One of the twelve brothers toured us through the mill and taught us about the unique Costa Rican wet and dry mill processes. This information came from an esteemed fifth-generation coffee-producing family and felt like a master class in coffee production. What an unexpected treat to see their hard work and passion firsthand. Jhonnathan had already spent the morning at the mill working on his lots and was tired from all his hard work. We met up with him later for lunch at Restaurant El Mirador and were awestruck by the views. After lunch, we started an off-road trek through each of his seven small farms. Jhonnathan’s introduction to coffee is very different than many producers. He was not raised in coffee, but was best friends with one of the Aguilera brothers and fell in love with coffee a little later in life. He and I have a lot in common in that sense.

After he started his first career he realized it was not his passion, so nearly ten years ago he started working towards buying and setting up farms. He spends his days in a public hospital, many times handing off coffee samples during breaks, and spent nights & weekends working on his coffee business. He thinks he’s about five years away from being able to completely financially support himself through his coffee business. We were lucky enough to see his enthusiasm for the industry on full display that afternoon. He’s excited to be able to build a home, a wet and dry mill, and several coffee-producing farms all over the West Valley of Costa Rica. We were blessed to see each one.

As we drove through an empty field, he pointed out the place he wants to build his home, right next to his mill. We drove through a shared farm that is not producing high enough quality coffee to sell as a specialty, and he talked about how once he gets his mill, he’ll be able to work with those producers to elevate their coffee and eventually double or triple their annual income. I couldn’t help but feel an instant camaraderie with Jhonnathan, as someone who started his career on another path but used the resources of that initial career to build a dream job and business. Jhonnathan is doing this the right way and putting together an operation that will help so many in his area. He has the perfect mentors in his close friends, the Aguilera brothers.

We here at Sagebrush feel that a conical brewer such as the HARIO V60 is capable of  displaying these interesting flavor profiles the best. This article will walk you through what we do on-bar to make our pour-overs, our pour-over recipe, as well as some tips and tricks on how you can recreate it at home.

This originally was intended as a guide for onboarding and training our baristas, but hopefully, at home, you can use what we have as a standardized recipe as a launching point for what you can do with pour-overs. The fun of coffee brewing is you then get to tweak and play with it to build your favorite workflow.

If you watch the video below, you’ll get the same content with visuals that may be helpful. Or, if you prefer, keep reading, and we’ll walk you through it with this article.

To start we like to use a couple of items.

First we have an atomizer or just a regular spray bottle. It sprays a mist of water. The other item is just a normal chopstick. We like to use a stainless steel chopstick that is easier to clean.

We also use a glass pitcher for pouring the cups into and a dosing cup, which is helpful if you want to do just single cup brews. Otherwise, you can pretty much use any bowl or small mug. 

In the image above, we have written out our on-bar recipe for each of the coffees that we have available for pour-over. This is something that we've found to be the best for putting nice, bold, thick-bodied coffees on display as well as interesting and complex nuanced coffees. It's a good recipe to use as a baseline, and then you can tweak it from there. 

So, what's in each quadrant? 

The difference between regular and large sizes is that we offer a 12-ounce pour-over as well as a 20-ounce one. We offer a hot pour-over as well as flash-brewed pour-overs.

Now, each of these has differences because the differences in extraction are greatly affected. When brewed iced, you create a higher concentration of coffee to dilute with ice to make sure that it does not water down after you're done brewing.

So, for our hot regular, which is our most commonly ordered pour-over, we have a 70g bloom, which is about three times the amount of coffee that we have dosed out. And then we have 130 gram pour up to 200 grams on your scale and finally a 150 gram pour that takes you up to 350 grams on your scale.  So, the final gram amount for water is the 350g.

Now I say gram amount, because if you're brewing at home, you should be using a kitchen scale every single time.

This is the best way to ensure that you're getting consistent cups every single day. It is also a helpful guideline for understanding how to create better cups as you progress in your brewing and understand a bit more of the nuances of each of them. If you're not using a scale, then you're either eyeballing it or using volume, and this will always be less consistent.

Think of it this way: when you brew a perfect cup of coffee, you’ll want to recreate it the next day. The more you measure and the better you measure, the better chance you have of being able to do that.

For our large cup, we start with a larger dose of coffee (34g). On bar, the sequential 2-3 or 3-4 makes it easier to remember. The large is about 50% more of the dose, and that inherently creates about 50% more coffee in the final cup as well. We try to maintain about a 15:1 ratio in our brews.

This is our preference, but play with it--try 16:1 or 17:1 or even go to 19:1 and see what you enjoy. This ratio is in reference to the amount of water vs the amount of coffee beans.

For our large pour-overs, we'll be dozing out about 34 grams of coffee, followed by 525 grams of water. So that produces about a 490g to 475g brew and produces about a 15:1 ratio. Playing with these rations will give you some understanding of extraction and the differences that come out in the final cup versus the way that you're extracting your coffee.

We’ve found that not a lot of people flash brew or brew their pour-over over ice, but we live in AZ, and you have to have iced coffee for about half the year. So for our iced pour-overs, our grind size is going to be much finer, a pretty significant portion finer to allow for more of those coffee particles to be extracted within a 250g pore.

Now, we have the same dose amount, so there will be a much higher concentration of coffee within this brew. However, pairing it with 100 grams of ice at the bottom of the pitcher will automatically dilute it into a consistent coffee particle amount.

What this means is when we were dialing in this recipe, we used a TDS meter. We used this to ensure that the extraction that we were achieving out of the large ice is the same as the large hot. So those differences are something that we have honed in and tried to dial in properly. And that's with the EK43 grinder that we use on-bar. Ultimately, this is something that you're going to have to play with at home. If you happen to have a TDS meter, calibrate the grind settings to your grinder. For us on our EK43, we have it calibrated for a regular hot at a 10.5 grain size and an iced hot is going to use an 8.5 grain size.

Now that we’ve walked through our recipes, we would encourage you to watch the video to see the demonstration. This demo starts at the 7:25 mark of the video.

Good luck with your home brewing!

In the past, we tried and shared some trending tea and coffee recipes. We tried sparkling up some cold brew, mixed in some lemonade with cold brew, made a sherbet tea float, and others. Now that fall is here, I decided to experiment with some tea and espresso combinations. We used Guatemalan Coffee for our espresso and poured a shot into a tea latte prepared with some of our teas. The very first time I mixed coffee with tea was when I tried a Dirty Chai. If you don't know what it is, it's an espresso shot in a chai latte. Tea lattes are what I like to think of as comfort drinks. When I'm looking for a more robust flavor with a bit of kick, adding an espresso shot is exactly what I need. I make tea lattes with the teas from our sister site, Hackberry Tea all the time. Below are some of my favorites combinations. The fullness of tea flavor can vary from tea to tea, so if you like a more robust tea flavor, you may need to add an extra teaspoon or two. I will often use three teaspoons, but more is sometimes necessary depending on how much tea I'd like to taste. We have so many teas at Hackberry that by no means is this an exhaustive list. These recipes are my favorites. 

Ingredients 

• Your favorite Hackberry loose-leaf tea
• Your favorite Sagebrush coffee brewed to your liking
• Milk of choice
• Sweetener, if preferred

Instructions 

1. Combine 3-4 teaspoons of tea with milk. I use almond milk with all my lattes. 
2. Steam milk with a frother, steam wand, or over the stove. Sometimes I use a frother, but my proffered method is a pot over the stove. 
3. Strain tea leaves. Depending on how you steamed milk, the straining process may vary. 
4. Add sweetener if desired. I don't sweeten all my tea lattes. 
5. Add espresso shot or drip coffee
6. Stir 
7. Enjoy!

My Tea Recommendations: 

Warm Vanilla Chai 

It wasn't until I joined the Hackberry team that I began to enjoy drinking Chai Teas. I don't know if the others I had tried were too sweet or too spicy. I think I may have been trying lower-quality tea. Since I tried it and didn't like it, I figured I was not too fond of Chai. Now I know that nothing could be farther from the truth. Since the Sagebrush shop opened, I have been drinking Chai lattes far more than I ever had before. I like Chai, and I didn't even know it. Our Warm Vanilla Chai with almond milk, a little sweetener, and an espresso shot are the perfect comforting and soothing drink for any time of the day. This is my current favorite drink. 

Strawberry Hazelnut Pu'er 

The Strawberry Hazelnut Pu'er with an espresso shot has a perfect blend of nutty, fruity, and bold. A very gentle strawberry taste lingers, which makes it delicious. Generally, I wouldn't say I like fruit and coffee, but when you blend it with the soft milky foam and the nutty flavor of the hazelnut, it has a very balanced flavor. I was pleasantly surprised the first time I tried it. This one is a close second to the Warm Vanilla Dirty Chai. 

White Coconut Cream 

I love the flavor of coconut, so I loved this one. If you love coconut, you'll love it as a tea latte with or without an espresso shot. They are both delicious. You may need to add some extra tea for a bolder coconut flavor if you want. I haven't had this one as often as others because I'm not always in the mood for coconut, but it's a go-to when I want to change things up a little. 

Bourbon Cream Black 

I went out on a limb on this one, I have to be honest. The Bourbon Cream Black is not one of my favorite Hackberry teas. I don't really like the Bourbon flavor. But you never know until you try something. When you blend espresso and steamed milk, the Bourbon flavor was more enjoyable than I expected. The sweetness was unique and soothing. Someone mentioned that sweetening it with honey would make it better. I may try that next to see if adding a little extra flavor will enhance it even more. I never thought I would recommend the Bourbon Cream Black, but here I am, suggesting it.  

Coffee prices are getting as high as they have ever been.  The C market coffee futures are at a 5 year high and are still considered a strong buy.  We haven't seen a sustained peak like this in the market ever and there is no end in sight.  We feel the ripple effect of this in our coffee roastery and frankly those futures are impacting our 2025 coffee prices, so next year will be worse than today. I'm sure you feel the effects of this at home. As one coffee snob to another, the last thing I want to do is reduce the quality of coffee that I'm drinking. So what can we do to try to save money as we're drinking our favorite coffees? Today I'm going to review some things I'm doing at home, and hopefully it will help you maximize the value of what you're buying and keep great coffee in our cups.

Let's start with an easy one. Clearly, if you're going to a coffee shop 5–7 days a week, you need to stop and bring coffee from your local shop home and brew it there. This strategy will not only save you 60–70% on your coffee costs, but will also save you time and effort, because the slowest brewing method you do at home is still faster than asking them to do it at a coffee shop.

The most significant tips from this article are for those of us that already drink the majority of our coffee at home, but still want to tighten the belt.  How can we maximize the value per dollar spent? Let's start by talking about how I pick the coffees I like to drink.  I generally have two coffees.  What I call my "daily driver," is the coffee that goes in the pot every single morning—the first thing I smell and drink when I wake up. Then there's another coffee in my collection, which is more of the "sip and relax" coffee—on the days that aren't rushed to get out the door, where I want to enjoy every single sip of that coffee. For those times, I'm willing to buy a little bit nicer coffee. So, do you think about coffee that way? Do you think about coffee in terms of, "What's my daily driver versus what is the coffee I can really cherish?"

At Sagebrush, we actually think about that as we buy, price, and sell coffees. We have really good coffees that push the envelope forward in terms of connecting farmers and helping producers grow in their abilities. Sometimes their farms are so small that we end up combining different farms together to create a lot, and those are what we call our brown label coffees. You’ll see a lot of these on our website. They come from smallholder farms and are pushing coffee forward in their own way.  They may not have the time-intensive processes in place to make really unique cups, but they're great every single day.

Then, we spend a lot of time looking for the best of the best, single-origin coffees, where producers are investing in processes like honey, fermenting, and other natural methods to maximize the flavor of the beans. These processes takes time, effort, and money. So think through: Am I willing to, on the five days a week, sacrifice some of those unique flavors to maximize the dollar and still get really good, ethically sourced coffee? Or would I rather go with premium coffees every single day?

As I think through my coffee spending habits—and frankly, owning a coffee shop kind of gives me a cheat—I believe there are a lot of ways we waste money on coffee. Maybe our coffee ages out. Maybe we brew more than we need and end up throwing away half a pot. Or maybe we’re buying a small amount when we could buy in larger bulk and save money. As you think about it, what brewing equipment do you have at home, and what do you use regularly? Are you using it in a way that maximizes your yield day to day?

A good example of this is in our home: We make a pot of coffee every morning with a Moccamaster for my wife and I. But there are days when our schedules are different, and instead of brewing a full pot and throwing half of it away, it would make more sense to make individual pour-overs. That happens more times than I like to admit. So think through your daily schedule and what brewing method maximizes that. This might sound like I'm nickel-and-diming it, but if you're drinking coffee every single day, saving 5–10% on your coffee usage over 365 days a year will have an impact. And frankly, you can send that money upstream to the producers who are being pinched by rising prices, rather than throwing away coffee.

That leads me to the next point: How do you buy your coffee? We sell coffee in 12-ounce, 16-ounce, and 4-pound bags here on our website. We chose these sizes to help you maximize your purchase for your normal brewing amounts. I think most customers buy coffee every couple of weeks, but you can probably get away with buying coffee once a month. If you know how much coffee you use each month, you can buy in bulk, which may mean getting the 4-pound bags and saving money. The price per pound for a 4-pound bag is significantly lower than for a 12-ounce bag. So look at how much coffee you use and try to maximize your dollar.

But if you’re buying in bulk and keeping coffee on the counter for a month, you need to store it properly to maintain freshness. We’ve tested it, and we think coffee’s sweet spot is somewhere between 4–5 days and two weeks. But there are things you can do to preserve it from two weeks to four weeks that will make almost no noticeable difference in flavor. Light is the enemy of coffee freshness, so store it in a dark place. Oxygen is also an enemy, so seal your bags or use an airtight container. I have friends who partition their daily coffee into separate bags to minimize oxygen exposure. That could be a lot, but taking a 4lb bag and splitting it into 4ths is a bit easier. Humidity is another factor—though less so in dry places like here in Arizona—but in more humid environments, use a dry container to help preserve your coffee.

The last thing you want to do is leave a bag open on the counter, exposed to sunlight and air. That will make your coffee taste stale pretty quickly. Do what you can to preserve the coffee so you can buy in bulk and enjoy it longer.

When I talk about saving money on coffee, my goal is to reduce waste and spend money wisely so we can ensure the producers we love can continue their livelihoods. Fertilizer costs are going up, yields are going down, and labor costs are increasing. The last place I want to save money is on the beans. I want to save money elsewhere to support the farmers, not by cutting corners on their coffee.

Before I move on, I want to mention coffee gear. Early on in Sagebrush's history, I used profits to buy gear, and over time, I learned a lot about what matters and what doesn’t. Gear does change the flavor profile of coffee, but you don’t always need the latest, fanciest gadget. For example, in our shop, one of the biggest improvements we made to pour-overs came from simply stirring the grounds with a chopstick. It had more impact on flavor than any new brewing method.

So, before you buy every new gadget, think about what you're buying it for. Does it really maximize your coffee experience? If you want to collect gear as a hobby, that's fine, but it shouldn’t be a part of your general coffee budget.

Finally, the most significant way to save money on coffee is by becoming a home roaster. That might sound intimidating, but it’s easier than you think. When I started, I had a friend show me how to roast coffee with a popcorn popper in his garage. After that, I bought a Whirley-Pop popcorn popper and roasted on my stove once a week. Home roasting costs about 30% of what you’d pay for roasted coffee, and it can be a fun hobby.

That’s why we started Sagebrush Unroasted —a website dedicated to home roasters. We sell unroasted coffee beans to help people roast their own. If you have questions about getting started with home roasting, email us—we’d love to help.

In summary, we’ve talked about ways to save money without reducing coffee quality:
- Stop going to coffee shops and brew at home.
- Be intentional about the coffee you buy.
- Minimize waste and store your coffee properly.
- Consider home roasting to get the most value.

The key is paying attention to the details of your coffee experience and supporting the farmers who grow the coffee we love.

This article came about because 15 years ago, I looked at my coffee budget and realized I needed to make some changes. I stopped shopping at specialty roasters and became a home roaster. Today, coffee is my livelihood.  There are many ways to look at that budget and think, "I need to save money," and I hope this article gave you some ideas for your own home.

When a customer comes into Sagebrush Coffee and asks a barista what coffee they should use for their espresso at home, we almost always recommend a chocolatey and rich coffee. We do this for many different reasons. But the reality is this is the most common way people expect their espresso to taste. I personally believe you can use any coffee for espresso. Let's discuss why.

Why are you able to use any coffee for espresso, and why is "chocolatey and rich" the usual recommendation? The answer must start with a short lesson in extraction. The beginning of that lesson requires that we define a couple of terms for you. There's a term commonly used in the coffee industry: TDS, or Total Dissolved Solids, measured as a percentage of the coffee solids that are in the water you're drinking. A higher number generally means a higher concentration of coffee. We all have brewed recipes to optimize flavor. That's why, when I get a new brewing machine, I always Google what's the recommended brewing method. What I'm really trying to do is figure out how to achieve the optimal TDS for the brewing method I'm using or at least a baseline I can tweak to my palate's preference.

There's also a term similar to TDS but it's just the dissolvable solids—a finite number representing what you will extract from the coffee. This term isn't used as much, but it's helpful when thinking about extraction, especially for espresso. When you look at the extraction, you're extracting the same amount of dissolvable solids from your shot of espresso as you would from a similar brew recipe for a pour-over, but you're putting those dissolvable solids in two ounces of water versus eight or ten ounces of water, and so your TDS varies.

What does this variation do to the flavor of the coffee? It changes the boldness, the mouthfeel, and the body, but it doesn't change the flavor. If you're brewing your espresso correctly, and you're brewing your pour-over correctly, the flavor notes should be the same. However, if you're brewing your espresso, you're going to have a very different experience with your coffee. Think about this: when you're having a shot of espresso, many of us love shots of espressos, and there's probably a larger number of people that love Americanos. Well, an Americano tastes very different than a shot of espresso, and the reason for that is you have a much lower concentration of coffee, lower concentration of dissolvable solids in that same cup, but your extraction was exactly the same. It's not like you're brewing or pulling a shot for an Americano differently than what you're doing for an espresso.

So you see that even more exaggerated when you talk about pour-overs. A good comparison, although not a perfect analogy, is a chocolate cake versus chocolate ice cream. They both taste like chocolate, but they have a very different density and mouthfeel. Like I said, that's not a perfect analogy, but it helps to understand the difference we're trying to highlight.

If you've experienced lots of different brewing methods, this should resonate with you as you think through what a French press tastes like, versus a shot of espresso, versus a V60 or a Chemex or even a cold brew. I often use terms like "it's juicier" versus "it's thicker," as there's just something that the coffee does on your tongue that affects the way that you perceive it.

Why do you think we add milk to espresso so much more, or why is so much more milk used in espresso than in normally brewed cups of coffee, whether it's on a drip machine or a pour-over? The reason is that concentration creates a density that some people don't love, and so adding milk creates the mouthfeel that most people would probably prefer. And so, if we're looking at our sales at the coffee bar, we probably sell 30 lattes to one shot of espresso because people love the mouthfeel and the texture of a good steamed milk poured into a highly concentrated shot of espresso. And that's just what excites most people.

So as you think about scenario, then what complements the milk really well? It's probably going to be a chocolatey and rich coffee and that's why we recommend it most of the time.

However what my next question typically is, as you're starting to think through what you want when you're buying espresso, "How do you drink it?" Do you prefer it in a shot, really concentrated? Do you prefer it diluted in an Americano? Would you rather it as a latte that you're steaming the milk on? Would you rather an iced latte? All of those will impact what you're looking for in terms of your flavor, and even as you're having a shot, do you like just a shot of espresso that you drink really quickly, or are you more of an espresso sipper that you have with carbonated water? That's going to affect what you're looking for in the coffee.

So think through, what do you love? We talk about chocolatey and rich because that's what most people are looking for when it comes to an espresso. But the reality is, what do you like the most when you drink coffee? If you drink drip coffee, where do you gravitate to? If you order a pour-over at a coffee shop or make it at home, what do you gravitate to? Do you like the more delicate, balanced coffees? Do you like the more dynamic flavor profiles? Do you like to have a fruitier coffee? Do you like a chocolatey coffee? What do you gravitate to, and then order that and put that on espresso, especially if you're trying to brew a shot or an Americano, just get what you love.

Our barista's favorite coffees in the shop are usually the more fruity ones on espresso. They just have this amazing mouthfeel. So try to find what you love and brew it.

Now, one part of this conversation we haven't talked about is actually the roast level, most people just assume a dark roast is what you want on espresso, and that isn't always the case either. The different roast levels are going to impact the density of the coffee bean. The more you roast it, the lower the density of the coffee bean, the less you roast it, the more water is in that coffee bean. And it ends up being a more dense coffee. And so that's going to affect how you extract the coffee from it. Kathryn did a great job for us putting together a video where she explains how to dial in a light roast coffee. It won't line up with your muscle memory, so you need to learn how to be able to grind it to the right level to get the extraction to maximize the flavors you want out of it. And honestly, most of the fruitier coffees, the more delicate coffees, are going to be roasted light. So you might say, "Oh, man, I've tried a light roast coffee, or I've tried a fruity coffee and espresso, and it just comes out sour. It just comes out bitter." And that's probably because you haven't dialed in that roast, not because that coffee doesn't work well as espresso. So that's my encouragement to you, is probably go watch the video if you'd like those coffees, learn how to dial it in. It's going to take some time, and even every bag may take a shot or two extra to be able to get it the way you like it. And then you're going to make some of the best espresso you've ever had in your life. And that's what you're going for. And that's really the whole point to this. Start with chocolatey and smooth coffees or chocolatey and rich coffees. Those are where people gravitate to get that down right, and then expand as your flavor palate expands and hit what you really love and pick those out. Don't feel like you're siloed into a certain coffee makes espresso. What you should say is the coffee I love makes a great espresso.

Well, hopefully that answers the question that most of our customers are asking, or many customers ask. Hopefully that puts you down the right path, if not, email us, reach out to us. We'd love to expand on it. We love talking about coffee, and in a coffee bar, sometimes you just don't have time to have the conversations we love talking about so reach out to us, and we'd love to talk more about this, or follow us on YouTube.

Bright and fruity beans are taking the spotlight and the two coffees that we decided for our “Bright and Fruity” bundle are the Kindeng Drying Mill from Papua New Guinea and the Madrigal Family Farm from Costa Rica. Both of these coffees are dry processed, meaning that after being picked, the coffees are dried while still having the cherries on the beans. This process allows the fruit juices to soak into the beans making a naturally fruit-forward coffee. Obviously, that is enough to make a fruity coffee, but there are different choices that can be made leading up to the natural process, as well as after the process, that can alter the flavor profile. So now it's time to get deep into the weeds to learn what makes a coffee both bright and fruity. 

The Kindeng Drying Mill coffee is grown in Papua New Guinea (PNG). PNG is a rainforest with rich soil that provides lots of nutrition to grow sweeter fruit. The extreme mountainous regions allow for lots of sun in the day while also allowing temperatures to drop at night. This variety in temperature puts a lot of stress onto the cherries, making the coffee cherries sweeter. The Kindeng is a blend of three varietals: Arusha, traditional Bourbon, and Typica. Arushas tend to be more acidic and herbal then other varietals, Bourbons are high in glucose sugar, and Typicas tend to have low yield, but have an intense sweetness. Overall, these varietals when mixed will create a complex sweetness with a unique acidy that would lend itself well to a natural process. Due to the harsh environment, the farmers in PNG are just starting to get the resources and education to be able to grow really fantastic coffee. Although the country  is newer than a lot of other more established origins, I think Papua New Guinea is quickly becoming one of the best countries for extremely sweet and dynamic coffee.

The Madrigal Family Farm coffee from Costa Rica is one of my favorite coffees that I've had in a long time. This bean has an incredibly sweet profile with very little fermented flavor and a sweet and intense acidity. It is truly an amazing coffee! Costa Rica makes an interesting case because the general rule of thumb is Central American coffees tend to have a bold flavor profile, and by that I mean it tends to grow more chocolatey and nutty flavors. So a lot of people looking for Costa Rican coffees tend to ignore naturals and vice versa. But this is one of the best fruity coffees I've had in a while, and maybe my favorite Costa Rican coffee ever. The fact that this bean is a natural process is the main reason it is fruity, but I don’t think that it could be done as well if it wasn’t for the unique varietal that was chosen for this lot. This coffee is a single varietal lot, which already can help make a clearer flavor profile. As a yellow bourbon, it is an amazing choice for a sweeter cup due to Bourbons having a  high sugar content. The three main types of Bourbon are pink, red, and yellow. Pink and red Bourbons are higher in glucose which is the sugar found in foods like bread and potatoes. In coffee, glucose helps make a rounder bean that lends itself better to a washed process and a bolder profile. Yellow bourbons have a higher fructose content, which is the sugar found in fruit. This makes the coffee sweeter and naturally fruity. Paired with the unique terroir of Costa Rica this coffee is incredibly sweet and dynamic with a delicious acidity.

Personally, I tend to seek out fruitier cups of coffee, and these coffees are two of my highest recommendations in this category. You can always fall deeper down this rabbit hole, but hopefully this series was a good general explanation of a few of the variables of coffee flavor, and the cascading effects that it can have on the final cup.

Written by Noah Kellso

For the "Smooth and Chocolatey" bundle, we decided to pick two coffees that are extremely beloved at Sagebrush. We chose to use the Finca La Esperanza, and the La Cumbre, from Guatemala and Costa Rica respectively. Both of these coffees are from Central America, which based on their terroir, can create deliciously bold flavors. Terroir is the natural characteristics of that country’s climate, soil, and topography. Guatemalan coffees are known for their extreme chocolate notes with bodies that are smooth and creamy. Costa Rican beans can have the same chocolatey richness, while also being extremely dynamic and fruity. In fact, we have a Costa Rican coffee in both this and the "Bright and Fruity" bundle of this series. Traditionally, Costa Rican coffees are prone to have a more bold flavor profile.

The Finca La Esperanza is this year’s lot of what we typically refer to as our "Guat Gold." Every year for over a decade we have been buying a traditionally bold, yet smooth coffee from the La Esperanza farm, and every year it becomes our best-seller. Over the past decade, our coffees have gotten better and better, and our scales have shifted for what we call our Brown Labels and Gold Labels. So much so, that the La Esperanza isn’t even priced as a Gold Label anymore. Although, in my heart, I will always see it as the true "Guat Gold."

This coffee is a traditional washed process, which means that the coffee bean is removed from the coffee cherry before being dried. This makes the coffee have a less fruit-forward taste and can increase the nuttiness and chocolatey tones of the beans. Washed coffee has been the primary process of coffee since the start, mainly because removing the fruit removes a lot of the dangerous variables that can ruin the taste of coffee, bacteria, fungus, etc. Now that practices have gotten safer and people’s tastes have gotten more complex, we are more interested in the unique tastes that can come from mild and even extreme fermentations of coffee.

Usually the process is the main reason for the general flavor profile, but there are always more variables that can affect the flavor of a given coffee. Wine and coffee share many similarities, but one of the biggest is the use of varietals to change the overall flavor. In the same way there are dozens of different grapes (merlot, cabernet, pinot noir) there are also dozens of different coffee varietals (geisha, typica, bourbons, etc.). Each varietal can drastically change the flavor profile of the coffee. The Finca La Esperanza uses a blend of varietals: Bourbon, and Caturra. There are actually a couple of different types of bourbons, but when referred to as a bourbon they are just referring to the traditional bourbon, which is high in glucose sugar. When paired with a washed process, it can increase the natural sweetness of that bean and can also give it a smoother mouth-feel that is extremely noticeable in the La Esperanza. Overall, the La Esperanza is a classic and delicious coffee that is my go to recommendation for anyone who is looking for a smooth, "classic coffee-tasting" cup of coffee.

The La Cumbre is one of my favorite coffees that we are offering at the moment. I’m mainly a barista, and on bar we don’t switch out our coffee that we use for espresso very frequently. So, for over a year and a half, we used the La Esperanza as our espresso and almost everyday I had to drink it and dial it in over and over again. So when I heard that we were switching our espresso to the La Cumbre, a more dynamic coffee with a delicious acidity that makes it one of my favorite espressos we’ve ever had, I got very excited! Like the La Esperanza, this coffee is also a washed coffee. As stated before, this removes a lot of that fruitiness and can make the cup more nutty and chocolatey, which is very prominent in this cup. The varietal used in this coffee is the Catuai, which is very good. Literally Catuai translated means "very good." Catuais tend to have very sweet cups with a fruity acidity that really comes forward on this coffee and especially comes through on espresso. 

Being one of our barista on bar I can say with confidence that chocolatey notes are the most sought after flavor when it comes to coffee. And although they are the most classic coffee profiles, it doesn’t mean that these coffees can't also be dynamic and interesting with a lot more to offer than just chocolate. I think these two coffees are great options for new and old coffee lovers that are looking for a smooth and delicious cup of coffee!

Written by Noah Kellso

For the "Delicate & Dynamic" bundle, we chose coffees that were grown in South and Central America. Origin plays a large part in how the coffee can taste, and playing into the strengths of a country’s terroir can make that coffee have a clearer flavor profile. Terroir is the natural characteristics of that country’s climate, soil, and topography. Central and South America have a terroir that lends itself better to a less acidic, more clear-bodied coffee.

The Edier Perdomo Farms, which is the first coffee of this bundle, is an experimental washed process from Colombia. Typically, traditional washed coffees have the mucilage, or the flesh of the coffee cherry, removed before the bean is air dried. This makes the coffee produce less fruity flavor notes. The experimental aspect of this coffee’s washed process comes from the prep of the coffee before drying. After being picked, the cherries go through a 24-hour pre-fermentation, where the cherries are then stored in bags for a 36-hour aerobic fermentation. Aerobic fermentation is done when yeast ferments the basic sugars into alcohol and carbon dioxide. Compared to an anaerobic fermentation, which is done without oxygen and with bacteria, the Aerobic fermentation will act faster and thus remove more of the natural sugars quicker, which will continually make the coffee’s flavor more bold. Then the mucilage is removed and the coffee beans are dried as a traditional washed process. This produces almost a cross between a washed coffee and a natural bean (i.e. coffee that is dried with the cherries still on the bean). The coffee will have some more fruitiness than a traditional washed coffee as well as a mild fermented flavor on the cup. Usually the process is the main reason for the general flavor profile, but there are always more variables that can affect the flavor of a given coffee.

Wine and coffee share many similarities, but one of the biggest is the use of varietals to change the overall flavor. In the same way there are dozens of different grapes (merlot, cabernet, pinot noir, etc.)  there are also dozens of different coffee varietals (geisha, typica, bourbons, etc.). Varietal can drastically change the flavor profile of the coffee. The Edier Perdomo is a pink bourbon. Bourbon coffees are known for their higher sugar content, naturally making the coffees sweeter, but where each bourbon differs is the types of sugars. Yellow bourbons have higher amounts of fructose sugar which can make the coffee fruitier with more acidity, while red and pink bourbons have higher amounts of glucose, which again helps make the coffee more bold. All these variables prove the purposeful decisions of the producers at the farm, and also prove that coffee tasters aren’t just making things up when we say flavor notes. All these different processes and decisions chemically change the coffee and we can taste it! It's truly incredible how many variables can affect the taste of the final cup.

The Callejón Seco is a washed coffee from Panama. Panama coffees tend to have lots of natural sweetness and the ability to be either very fruity, or extremely chocolatey. As explained earlier, a washed coffee is dried without the mucilage making it have a less fruity cup. For this lot the producers chose to use a typica varietal. Typica varietals tend to be low yield with a natural sweetness and a tendency towards a more chocolatey flavor at the cup. Due to precise picking, the Callejón has an intensely clear profile of chocolatey sweetness with a nice floral taste and mild acidity. The body is very light on this coffee making a nice tea-like experience when drinking, and along with acidity, this cup is a deliciously dynamic coffee. Although there is less to go over with this coffee, it still is an amazingly unique cup that continues to raise Panama as my favorite country of origin.

Having a dynamic body can result in a truly intriguing and delightful coffee. These coffees have a way of drawing you back in, making you uncover new layers of flavor with each sip - it's like finding hidden treasure. These are some of the most intricate and delicious coffees we have to offer, and I can't wait for more people to experience them.

Written by Noah Kellso

The History of Decaffeinating Coffee 

It was the early 1900s, and a German merchant named Ludwig Roselius was about to discover how to decaffeinate coffee. It's believed that he received a shipment of coffee that was accidentally soaked in seawater, but instead of throwing it away, he decided to process and test it. He discovered that the water had stripped away the caffeine but the taste was far from perfect. The caffeine was gone, but the coffee tasted salty. This incident, however, inspired him to explore ways to decaffeinate coffee without sacrificing flavor. He figured out he could use benzene to remove the caffeine, a substance widely used for paint strippers and other chemical products. His company, known as Kaffee HAG, was the first to produce instant decaffeinated coffee. Their coffee was sold under a brand called Sanka, which would gain popularity among those who were looking for a decaf option. During the 1940s, it was common to see Sanka in advertisements and even quoted in movies and television shows. 

Decaffeinating using chemicals was a standard and common practice for a few decades. But, as people have become more conscious of how foods are processed, a lot of changes have been made to various processing methods. Decaffeinating coffee is no exception. Additionally, the use of harsh chemicals can change the flavor of coffee in a negative way, creating a stereotype that all decaf is gross. Because of these two major concerns, people in the coffee industry began to explore alternative ways to decaffeinate coffee. One of their newer discoveries is the sugarcane process. 

Decaffeination Using Ethyl Acetate (EA) 

The sugarcane process gets its name because ethyl acetate, or EA, is used to decaffeinate coffee. EA is a natural compound derived from cane sugar that can be found in fruits and other foods. Being derived from sugar, EA bonds to chlorogenic acids found in caffeine. When EA bonds to chlorogenic acids, the separation of the caffeine from the coffee bean begins. 

Here's the step-by-step process: 

1. Coffee is delivered green and unroasted to be decaffeinated. 
2. It's steamed for 30 minutes before the decaffeination process starts. The steaming process is low-pressure, so the pores of the coffee can be opened, allowing for the extraction of the caffeine. 
3. Once the coffee is ready, it's placed and submerged into the EA solution for a specific amount of time. During this time, the EA bonds to the chlorogenic acid and separates the caffeine from the rest of the coffee bean.
4. Beans reach a level of saturation that requires the tank to be emptied and refilled with fresh solution. This process repeats and continues for about eight hours or until the coffee has been sufficiently decaffeinated. 
5. Once all the caffeine is removed, the beans are prepped to be steamed again. This second steaming removes all traces of EA. 
6. Once the decaf coffee is dried, it's polished to ensure it stays clean and then packaged and distributed.  

If you have roasted coffee beans for a while, you can see the difference in unroasted beans right away. They're usually much darker than beans that have not undergone decaffeination. For our coffee purposes, we love the Sugarcane process because the EA used is derived from sugar cane, and it doesn't sacrifice the flavor of the coffee. It still showcases the hard work of producers, making it a product we are proud to offer to our customers. 

Shop Our Decaffeinated Offerings 

At Sagebrush, we offer decaf coffee that uses both the Sugarcane Process and the Swiss Water Process (SWP). The main difference between these two processes is that Sugarcane removes 97% of caffeine while SWP removes 99.9%. Both options offer great flavor, but the Sugarcane process is my personal favorite.

Why do we sort things the way we do?

If you have perused our website, you might have noticed that we categorize our coffees by a few different classifications. Both Gold Label and Black Label stand out and then there are the ‘unlabeled’ or Brown label coffees as we reference them internally. And apart from knowing that some coffees have an extra little stamp on their product, it may be difficult to distinguish why our coffees are labeled the way they are. Certainly there is a price correlation, but there is more to it. Our classification system categorizes three incredibly important pieces of what Sagebrush is as a coffee roastery. If we cut any one of these categories, we wouldn’t be all of who we want to be as a specialty coffee roaster. 

Brown labels encapsulate the 1st third of why we run a coffee business: to develop the specialty coffee industry.

Gold labels are the 2nd third of why we run a coffee business: to foster personal connections and relationships across the world of coffee. 

Black labels are the final third of why we run a coffee company: enjoying some freakin’ good coffee.

Price is a correlation, not a causation of these labels

For us, price-point thresholds act more as “weight classes” on our cupping table. When comparing coffees, we’re not assessing if a less expensive coffee will taste more interesting than a super expensive coffee; that answer is obvious. We’re assessing if that less expensive coffee stacks up in quality compared to other similarly priced coffees we have, and if the expensive coffee stacks up to other expensive coffees we have. Essentially, we’re not looking for the highest quality coffees all the time, we’re looking for the highest value coffees.

Let me break that down further. The chicken and egg of the specialty coffee is cost and taste. From a big-picture perspective, the market determines what tastes good. We as consumers have power in our buying to determine the value of a product. But, there is a level of objectivity to the association of more intentional farming that impacts the clarity and complexity of a coffee's flavor profile. So, there are farmers who are investing in so many different facets of their coffee production, paying more for it, and charging more because of it. And then there are consumers who are recognizing this intentional care in the final cup of coffee and are willing to invest to have that coffee. At the end of the day, you pay more to make something, you must charge more to sell it. And the taste is the result of the care and the care is the reason for the price.

The specialty coffee market does have influence as to what coffee profiles are deemed valuable. You may see some coffees from roasters or producers that have cup scores. Cup scores are basically an obsessed professional’s subjective grading scale. AKA, it’s someone’s opinion, but it’s the opinion of someone who knows what they’re talking about. As much as it would be helpful for this grading system to be streamlined and consistent, you will still have variability almost no matter what, making it a fairly lackluster means of determining objective value. These grading systems are definitely more valuable on a cupping table, where everyones palates are calibrated together and guidelines are given as a control group for assessment. But when you are sourcing dozens of coffees from all over the world and want a streamlined way for people to understand the relative quality of our offerings, this is simply not the way to do it. Therefore, these brown label, gold label, and black label tags help give a general indication of the quality you will receive without making it a seemingly objective system.

In all categories, we are meticulously cupping, sourcing, and offering the best coffees we can find, and the goal is to acquire the best value.

Taste is subjective. Monetary value is objective. 

Everyone’s palate and preferences are different, and that’s totally okay! Your favorite coffee we offer may be the cheapest bean we have. For some, it may be the most expensive, it’s simply a matter of the consumer’s approach and values. The greater the splurge, the more perceived value the product is. A $1500 Saint Laurent button-down shirt is certainly not 100 times the quality of a $15 button-down from Target, but it is significantly higher quality regardless. People often buy the expensive stuff for the enjoyment of a nice thing. Coffee can be the same way. There’s just something about high-quality coffee that makes it that much more of an experience when you buy it. 

Classification breakdown

Brown labels - 

Brown labels encapsulate the 1st third of why we run a coffee business: to develop the specialty coffee industry.

If not for those who come before us in the supply chain, we would not be the company we are today. In light of that, we see it critical to help producers in whatever way we can to develop in their craft as well. Our brown labels are where we seek to feature the best coffees we can find from up-and-coming producers, regions, and co-ops. For the most part, due to the more restricted access to particular details about the coffee, we can get our hands on these coffees at a lower price point and in higher quantities. Economically stimulating less developed producers can be the most impactful way to push coffee forward because it provides more opportunities for driven, like-minded producers to perfect their craft. There are many programs throughout the world that are dedicated to this mission, and our goal is to support these systems by providing their coffees and sharing their stories.

Gold Labels - 

Gold labels are the 2nd third of why we run a coffee business: to foster personal connections and relationships across the world of coffee. 

These coffees are the frontrunners for accessible hyper-transparently sourced beans from premier farms across the world. This is our top-tiered standard in our coffee offerings and they are a presentation of the quality you ought to expect from Sagebrush coffee. We love fostering relationships with the farms from whom we buy coffee. This consistent line of communication with producers and importers is what we’re all about here, and our gold label offerings usually highlight that the most. 

Black Labels - 

Black labels are the final third of why we run a coffee company: to enjoy some freakin’ good coffee.

Black labels are the best coffees we can find period. Whether it’s a hyper-limited crop or an auction lot, we do not let cost be a prohibiting factor in our search for the finest coffees in the world. Black labels will always be more expensive, because the more steps that you’re intentional with along a beans journey, the more you will have to pay, that’s simply how economics works. The higher quality things take more work to make along the way. Likewise, these are the coffees we are most intentional with. These are the coffees we are most intentionally cupping and assessing, the coffees we’re most intentionally marketing, and the coffees we are most intentionally sharing. Each coffee will have a unique story with much more complexity than your standard coffee. These are the splurge beans, for the one who drinks coffee for the taste, not the caffeine.

All coffee ought to be celebrated, and as one coffee roastery in Chandler Arizona, we believe we are making as big of an impact as we can make, one coffee release at a time!

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When I was in Colombia the process they used for washed coffees was to put the cherries in tanks with water and let them soak for a couple of days prior to washing. This is an anaerobic process, but not a traditional fermentation. Similar to putting the coffee in float tanks in other countries. A co-fermentation resembles this process, but while they soak, there is an added item to the tank to affect flavor. I’ve cupped grape co-ferments that taste like a grape popsicle.  I’ve had strawberry ones that are super sweet with an understated strawberry note. In fact, I’ve tried a bunch of these and each tends to have a unique profile that sometimes is very unexpected. It’s more fruity than a dry process, but somehow seems less natural. They aren’t flavored, but they’re about as close to that as you can get.

As I’ve traveled to origin more, I’ve learned something that was surprising and makes total sense.  All washed coffees are not the same, nor are naturals or honeys. Think about it, we’re talking about coffee producers in remote mountains of Guatemala where Spanish is their second language.  They’re not going to Brazil to see how they process their coffees.  These are learned either through interactions with neighbors, exporters, or maybe sending a family member to college to grow their knowledge.  I think the co-fermentation trend was born out of some of these conversations.  Someone tried it, sold it at a premium and then tried it again. When I was in Costa Rica last year, one of my contacts there said that he didn’t like the trend.  He said that the co-ferments only have an appeal to a few percent of the total customer-base. However, producers see these selling for double the normal price and they invest heavily in it and may see none of their crop sold.  He said he encourages a 90% washed or honey, 5-7% naturals and only a few percent special processes.  This gives them room for upside, but way less risk. It’s a trend and he wants to encourage producers to avoid putting all of their eggs in this basket.

Personally, I feel like we’re getting too close to flavored coffee.  We’re losing some of the nuance intrinsic to the beans that create the flavor profile of each individual coffee.  I’m not sure how different this is than aerobics, so there is a line here that will be crossed and maybe it’s good or maybe it’s just playing with something great. But I’ve noticed an evolution in coffee enthusiasts that I have lived out in my life as well.  You start by loving great fresh roasted coffee. Then you try a natural process from an origin like Ethiopia and are blown away by the flavor profile. You notice the blueberries in a way you didn’t know you could, so you chase that.  Then someone introduces a honey and you’re like, “Wow! That coffee is so sweet.”  Then an anaerobic hits your favorite coffee shop and you’re like, “What? I didn’t know coffee could taste like that.”  Then someone brings you a competition grade washed coffee (like our Best Cup Bella Luz) and you reset and see something different in it.  It becomes your favorite coffee ever and you’re over the naturals and anaerobics and just want that coffee over and over again.  So where do co-ferments fall?  Probably in that let’s drink something unexpected and see what can be done with coffee, but I hope they don’t replace or cause producers to change those amazing washed coffees.

What do you think?  Have you had a co-fermentation coffee?  I bought a small batch of a very cool one to see what people think of it. This one is lemonade and coconut, the coconut really comes through and adds a unique mouthfeel, but doesn’t overwhelm like some of the co-ferments I’ve cupped.