Green Coffee Beans for Home Roasters
Our newest line of specialty coffees, the Paradise coffees found on the Heirloom Coffee Boutique page, come to us as green, unroasted beans, which we then roast ourselves with the help of a local coffeeshop roaster. If you have a roaster and want to do the roasting yourself, it's fun, easy, and a way to save money - we discount our green beans to reflect the lower amount of labor involved in preparing them for you. Sign up for our newsletter to be the first to know when we find something new!
Sumatra Gayo Arabica
This extraordinary export from the Aceh region is a quintessential example of Gayo coffee. The wet-hulled, sun-dried process creates an earthy, complex flavor profile that is unlike any other coffee. The Gayo is sharper and brighter than our Lintong and makes an excellent espresso base. Whereas Lintong has a warm, compelling aroma, the Gayo is bold and assertive, with none of the muddiness that tends to characterize Mandheling. This is an excellent choice if you love the Sumatra profile and want to try a very clean sun-dried, wet-hulled coffee.
Vietnamese Dalat Bourbon Arabica
- Heirloom Variety
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Town in the Central Dalat Highlands region
showing coffee terraces in background
100% pure fresh-roasted Indochine Estates heirloom Bourbon Arabica beans. Indochine Estates is one of our favorite suppliers to work with because not only do they grow a delicious heirloom variety of Arabica on their multi-generation family farms, they are also deeply involved in their local community and sustainable growing pratices.
Bourbon (pronounced burr-BONE) originates from the island of Bourbon (called Reunion today). It is generally considered one of the two largest divisions of the Arabica genetic "tree", the other being Arabica Typica. Bourbon Arabica beans are characterized by a roundness and mellowness of flavor that modern arabicas often lack, coupled with a balanced acidity and smooth mouthfeel. One reason this variety is prized in Vietnam is that it has some similar characteristics to good Robusta, which are low acidity, high body and chocolate tone. One of the reasons Bourbon appeals to many coffee lovers is the pronounced main flavor tone of caramel. The trees these beans grow on were preserved on Indochine's estate farms when everyone else was re-planting their farms with modern hybrids, and we're very glad that they were!
Vietnamese Highland Robusta Peaberries
- Regional Specialty
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Town in the Central Dalat Highlands region
showing coffee terraces in background
Vietnamese Robusta is the secret ingredient in Italian espresso. Its lush body, chocolatey taste, and excellent aftertaste are a product of the rich soil in Vietnam, and the fact that they are able to sun-dry the coffee cherries, which develops Robusta's natural sweetness. This peaberry Robusta is almost entirely peaberries, extremely high-quality and hand graded, for the most complex and flavorful brew.
Why Robusta? Scientific tests have shown that people around the world, including the USA, are evenly divided between "front palate" people and "back palate" people. We find that people who respond well to Vietnamese coffees in general tend to be "back palate" people, and Robusta excites primarily the back of the palate. In particular, Vietnamese high-altitude Robusta has developed indigenously to be almost its own subspecies, and the gourmet Robusta from this region is exceptionally delicious, quite unlike the low-altitude versions and Brazilian Robusta. What's a peaberry? The coffee bean is the seed of the coffee fruit, which is also called a "cherry." Normally, each cherry contains two seeds, which is why coffee beans are rounded on one side and flat on the other (flat from being pressed together). Sometimes, between 5% and 15% of the crop will contain only one seed inside a smaller cherry. The coffee bean within is round, like a pea. These peaberries used to be discarded, until someone realized that the peaberries have a more intense and complex flavor, with a characteristic bite. The Vietnamese Highlands region is particularly intriguing for its peaberries, which feature in most of its famous local coffees.
People who like this often enjoy:
- Trung Nguyen Creative One
- Indochine Dark
- Highlands Traditional Blend
Organic Shade-Grown Philippines
Robusta
- by Bantai, makers of Bantai Kopi Luwak
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The Mountain Province
where the park is located
Grown at high altitude under the shade of old-growth jungle, this Robusta will shatter all expectations with its depth and complexity. Growing Robusta this way is almost unheard-of, but the result is extraordinary. Low acidity and no bitterness make it easy to drink, too. Bantai is a coffee company that employs indigenous peoples to harvest the beans from wild trees growing in the national forest preserves of the Philippines, and supports local conservation efforts. This is the same ultra-premium Robusta that the Philippines civets turn into Bantai's kopi luwak. Key notes: Chocolate, vanilla, spice; surprising depth and richness.
Vietnamese Excelsa
- Exotic new variety
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Excelsa is one of the four remaining genetically distinct commercial species of coffee and accounts for about 7% of world coffee production. It is used in Vietnam as a blending coffee, being added to other varieties of coffee to add complexity and depth. It's a vital ingredient in Trung Nguyen's blended coffees, including the famous Gourmet Blend, Buon Me Thuot Special, and Creative Four.
Our Excelsa was grown on one of Indochine Estates' coffee farms in the Dalat Highlands area of Vietnam. They have been processed by the traditional sun-drying method made possible by Vietnam's reliably long, hot summer. This all-dry process is sometimes called a "honey" process.
These beans come to us in a very natural state. We sift through the coffee by hand, visually inspecting every lot to remove broken beans and small bits of dried coffee fruit, which are a result of the drying process and the beans' non-uniform size. Excelsa itself has a highly variable fruit, producing seeds of all shapes and sizes, as you can see in the image. This is part of its unique character.
Excelsa has a distinctive tart, fruity, dark, mysterious taste. In blends, it enhances the middle and back palate and lingering finish of the coffee, giving the cup more substance and power. Brewed on its own, it is a compelling and unique coffee experience, like a good Scotch.
People who like this often enjoy:
- Trung Nguyen Creative Four or Gourmet Blend
- Indochine Dark
- Liberica
Sumatra Lintong
- Rare varietal
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Traditional Batak house in the Lintong coffee region
overlooking Lake Toba
An exciting new addition to our heirloom coffee selection, this Arabica has a fantastic aroma and smooth, low-acid taste that nonetheless has the desirable "edge" that sharpens the palate. When ground fine, it makes a really exceptional espresso, all intense flavor with no trade-offs. (Although, as is generally the case with Arabica, it produces only a thin layer of crema.)
The island of Sumatra has a unique geography, featuring high plateaus with steep drop-offs to the ocean. The combination supports several prized heirloom varieties of coffee, including this Arabica from the Lintong growing region located near Lake Toba. Sumatra Lintong gains much of its unique character from its processing methods, which involve a partial wet-process followed by a three stage drying cycle which "cures" the unroasted bean.
True premium Lintong coffee is very difficult to secure right now. Lintong needs to be roasted with care, since the cured bean roasts to a slightly lighter color than other beans and requires a delicate touch; the result is extraordinary.
People who like this often enjoy:
- Trung Nguyen Creative Five
- Indochine Estates coffees
- Highlands Moka Blend
Philippine Liberica Beans Unroasted (Green)
(click to enlarge)
A unique and irreplacable part of our worldwide coffee heritage, Liberica is an entirely separate species of coffee. Its almond-shaped beans have an exceptional aroma, almost floral and fruity, while its flavor is full and slightly smokey. We guarantee you have never tasted anything like this rare and exotic coffee.
Liberica is a vanishing species of coffee that is only now being brought back from the brink of extinction, and your purchase supports conservation of both the coffee and the forests where it grows.
Liberica and Sumatra Lintong Blend - "Lenberica"
- Our own Paradise Blend
Taal Volcano Crater Lake, Philippines
NEW! Unique hand-blended combination of ~25% Liberica and ~75% Sumatra Lintong, created by Len, our owner, and named for him. Makes a fabulous espresso!
Lintong is Arabica coffee grown in the Lintong region of Sumatra. Just south of lush Lake Tahoe, this region combines moisture, high altitude, sunshine and good winds into a perfect growing environment. The premium quality Arabica is made unique by the traditional "curing" process that takes place during a three-stage drying cycle and results in an extremely smooth and flavorful profile. This coffee requires a delicate touch when roasting, so we have established a relationship with a local roaster for the best combination of skill and freshness.
Together, these two coffees complement each other into an extraordinarily aromatic and well-rounded coffee with much enhanced versatility: it can be brewed in any method including espresso, and is wonderful hot or cold.