Coffee

Talking coffee with Mauricio Velasquez is a bit like talking politics with Che Guevara; his passion for the organisation he represents is radical and unparalleled. Mauricio is, in many ways, a revolutionary of the coffee trade. A Colombian national, he has seen his fair share of instability and inequity. No doubt this has been one

The Revolutionary Coffee of Colombia Talking coffee with Mauricio Velasquez is a bit like talking politics with Che Guevara; his passion for the organisation he represents is radical and unparalleled. Mauricio is, in many ways, a revolutionary of the coffee trade. A Colombian national, he has seen his fair share of instability and inequity. No

After four separate flights and several sleepless nights, the dim glow of Managua on the horizon was the most inviting sight Joe and I had ever seen. We arrived late at night and the heat of the day was still lingering in the night air… Nicaragua, for those who don’t know, is a steamy country

After blindly cupping and scoring over 50 coffees at Las Segovias; Joe, Agim and I chose some coffees we thought would work really well as espresso. The first coffee we chose had an overwhelming honey aroma. It was really sweet and caramely. We all scored it around the 88 mark. This coffee was a small

It has been a long journey for espresso machine manufacturer La Marzocco.  Since the early 20th century the Florence-based company has been producing exceptional coffee machines; more than a decade into the 21st century, they continue their legacy.  Those familiar with La Marzocco will recognise the names of some of their latest mechanical marvels: the

Today is the opening of the Burundi Cup of Excellence competition.  We met for a casual breakfast before heading over to the venue down the road.  It is a relatively new building compared to what I have seen so far in Burundi, two storeys with tinted blue glass windows.  Upstairs we can hear the hustle

Anyone unfamiliar with the annual Cup of Excellence competition could be forgiven for thinking of it as a simple process.  You taste coffee and say which one is the best right?  Well…yes…but the level of intricacy, hard work and dedication that goes into its conception is astronomical!  Cup of Excellence is something that has quite

Il Bendicion We spent the next couple of days visiting a few farms in Nueva Segovia. This was my first origin trip and I was chomping at the bit to get there. Most of the farms were within an hour from Ocotal. The first farm we visited was called La Bendicion.  One thing I noticed

Benefiico Las Segovias is a dry mill, focused on specialty coffee and working with over 200 farms in the Nueva Segovia region. The mill is located in the town of Ocotal and owned and managed by Luis Balladeras Moncada. Luis also owns and manages some of his own coffee farms. Our tour began with an

I have always been a big fan of Central American coffees, I think the combination of the mild acidity and chocolate, honey and citrus flavours lend themselves well to espresso coffees, so I was really excited when asked by Smudge Publishing to be involved in their Coffee Encounters book and assist them with featuring Nicaragua.