The Sprudge Report - New Champions!
And a lot of breast milk in coffee stories.
Three new US Coffee Champions!
Last weekend, the eyes of the US coffee world were on Durham, North Carolina for the crowning of three new winners of the US Coffee Championships. The Brewers Cup, Coffee in Good Spirits, and Latte Art Championships all held their national levels of competition, and after three days of intense coffee action, three new champions were crowned. Let’s find out who they are, shall we?
A coffee guide to Burlington
Burlington, Vermont, the Queen City. Small but mighty, Burlington is home to a rich and varied coffee scene that punches well above its weight class. It’s the sort of scene you’d expect from the largest city in the state, which Burlington is, but maybe not from one that only has 45,000 people, which Burlington does. USBC veteran and Uncommon Coffee owner Maya Nguyen takes us on a tour of her hometown coffee scene (and politely insists you have a maple latte at some point during your stay).
The Origami Cup comes to Houston
The Origami Dripper has become a fan-favorite brewing device in the last half-decade, and it’s easy to see why. It’s versatile and elegant and is a tool of infinite brewing exploration. And like another brewer with a cult-like following—the AeroPress—the Origami has its own competition, and it’s coming to America! Coinciding with SCA Expo in Houston, the Origami Cup challenges professionals and home brewers alike to make the best cup of coffee using the Origami Dripper. And there are big prizes at stake.
New merch from Cxffee Black
Memphis’s Cxffee Black is finishing up an investment campaign via WeFunder in order to expand the brand’s operations and reach. They have already raised an astounding $322,000 but are making one last push before the campaign closes in a week. And they are doing that in true Cxffee Black fashion: with a limited release merch drop. For this latest shirt, Cxffee Black has teamed up with Stephen Satterfield and Comoco Cotton, a sustainable textiles company described as “the world’s first Black cotton supply chain.” The unbleached cotton t-shit is then dyed using coffee from “the world’s first Black coffee supply chain,” ie Cxffee Black’s Guji Mane.
Release the press releases!
In this week’s press release roundup, Mill City Roasters has announced that they are returning to Coffee Fest New York as the Education Roasting Sponsor. This is the third consecutive year the Minneapolis roaster manufacturer has held the official designation.
The Best Worst of the Breast
We asked and you answered. So many answers. We requested that folks submit their real-life stories of customers requesting their lattes be made with breast milk, and submit you did. We pored over the entries to better understand who and why this happens and some pretty clear archetypes came into focus. Here are just a sample of what we received.
Roaster’s Village
We’re highlighting outstanding coffees from some of our favorite roasting partners each week here in the newsletter. This week’s selection of tasty coffees are…
THE BARN—Mahembe
Mahembe is a cornerstone of our Rwandan collection. We have been working with producer Justin Musabyimana for more than 10 years, visiting the estate and seeing his dedication on many occasions. Every season, we are excited to share Mahembe and this year our washed lot is sweet and aromatic. Notes of cherry, black tea, and cocoa are perfectly complemented by delicate, sparkling acidity.
Equator Coffees—Thailand Chaiprakarn Black Honey Single Origin Espresso
One of our most popular releases last year, Thailand Chaiprakarn Black Honey has returned to our roastery: a juicy & vibrant single origin coffee that truly flourishes in espresso form. This standout coffee was black honey-processed by coffee industry veteran Noi Duongdee from his own mill in Chaiprakarn, located in Thailand’s Chiang Mai growing region.
Sightglass Coffee Roasters—Spring Equinox
Named for the celestial shift from winter to spring, marked by nearly equal amounts of daylight and darkness across all latitudes, our Spring Equinox blend is crafted from a 50/50 composition of high-altitude coffees from Guatemala and Kenya. The result is a unique blend that celebrates a season of renewal through a deeply sweet and delicately fruited coffee that shines. Roast Level:Medium Dark. Orange Blossom, Tamarind, Strawberry
Olympia Coffee—San Sebastian Reserva
Our San Sebastian Reserva, sourced from producers in San Sebastian De La Plata, Huila, features the highest-scoring lots of the season grown at lofty elevations over 1,700 meters.
Partners Coffee—Burundi – Gahahe
The washing station at Gahahe serves over a thousand farmers in Kayanza, Burundi. This fully washed lot has become a perennial favorite of ours with golden hues of raisin, dried fig, apricot, and orange meeting brûléed sugar. Gahahe makes an excellent late-winter filter coffee and a lovely option for seasonal espresso.
Passenger Coffee & Tea—Bhadra
The most recent addition to our Foundational Menu, this delightfully sweet and approachable coffee comes from producers Pranoy and Ajoy Thipaiah of Kerehaklu Estate. Kerehaklu is one of a small group of family-run coffee farms that together make up the Bhadra partnership. All of these estates are located near the Bhadra Tiger Reserve, in the historically significant coffee-growing region of Chikmagalur, India. Notes of citrus, black tea, stone fruit
PERC—Mexico San Alfonso
We love this coffee’s round body and brown-sugary sweetness. It also has a subtle citrusy acidity. Think tangerine, lemon zest, and the slightest floral note in the finish. We’ve been putting out some face melters, so having a solid coffee like this one is nice when you want a great cup. Enjoy y’all, what a treat.
Klatch Coffee—Panama Abu Gesha Duo
Sample two incredible Geshas from Panama’s award-winning Abu Coffee Farm. “Abu” is short for “abuelo,” Spanish for “grandfather.” Today, the descendants of José Guillermo Luttrell Tedman continue to pursue his vision – Geshas raised with the highest standards of quality – at their farm Cañas Verdes, Boquete, Panama. We’ve created a one-time Gesha Duo to contrast the distinctions between the washed and anaerobic natural processing methods. This special Gesha Duo is offered in a single roast on Monday, Feb. 24th – order now to reserve yours and 15% on a per-gram basis compared with purchasing individually.
Dune Coffee Roasters —Honduras Urpania Guzman
Urpania’s coffee this year is sweet like orange and brown sugar, with a botanical quality that to us is so characteristic of the coffees grown on the Santa Bárbara mountain.
Phil & Sebastian—Bekele Yutute Natural
The Bekele Yutute Natural, newly arrived on our shelves, is bursting with fruity flavor. Coffees from the small region of Bensa are grown at a whopping altitude of 2300 meters and are winning nearly every competition in Ethiopia—it’s not hard to see why. This coffee is clean, intense, fruity, and embodies everything we love about Naturals.
Mr. Espresso—Java Gunung Tikukur, Washed Process
Part of Mr. Espresso’s limited-edition Collezione di Caffè, this washed micro-lot comes from West Java’s Cipaganti Village. Collected directly from small farmers, coffee varietals include Catimor, Tim Tim, Typica, and Gayo II. The Mr. Espresso sourcing team was exceptionally impressed by this coffee’s vibrancy, showcased by the region’s traditional processing method. Java Gunung Tikukur offers a complex cup, with flavors such as peach, toasted almond, and basil.
Stumptown Coffee Roasters —Papua New Guinea Besser
In Papua New Guinea’s Eastern Highlands, coffee producer Sero Bebes has cultivated more than coffee – he’s built a legacy. A testament to his dedication of producing the very best, this exceptional coffee blends sweet notes of fresh honeycrisp apple, toffee structure, and lingering red currant finish.
Night Swim Coffee—Guiben – Natural
We’re excited to welcome back some of our favorite coffees from 2024 as part of our ongoing effort to highlight underrepresented coffee regions in our world. Say hello once again to Kaku and Guiben—two exceptional washed and natural coffees from the Yunnan Coffee Project in Yunnan, China. The work being done by the Yunnan Coffee Project is nothing short of inspiring. Guiben, a naturally processed coffee, bursts with candy-like fruit notes and has a wonderfully syrupy, sweet body. This year, Guiben is tasting even sweeter, fruitier, and more shareable than ever. We invite you to experience the distinct flavors of this remarkable coffee-growing region! We’re Tasting: Pink Lemonade, Strawberry Candy, Chocolate Malt
Madcap Coffee—Nelson Moreno
Nelson Moreno inherited his first piece of land, 3 acres at about 1600 meters, from his father Orlando when he was only 16. In the Santa Barbara region, the surname Moreno and quality go hand-in-hand. Generations of Morenos’ work together harvesting each other’s coffee, as well as processing all of their lots together. Their collective effort is what sets the Moreno’s level of quality apart from the rest, and they have the Cup of Excellence awards to prove it. Specialty coffee enthusiasts recognize Santa Barbara, Honduras, as one of the most unique coffee micro-terroirs in all of Central America. This Pacas variety is processed anaerobically, or without oxygen. This innovative processing technique results in a vibrant and expressive cup, with notes of honeydew, lychee, and hibiscus.
Verve Coffee Roasters—Gura AA
Juicy, jammy and expressive, this year’s AA lot from Gura is nothing short of delicious. Tropical guava notes greet your palate with the first sip, followed by a sweet strawberry and fudge finish.
Portland Coffee Roasters—Bridge Blend
The Ethiopia component comes from Mustefa Abakeno – a smallholder producer growing coffee varieties from the nearby Jimma Research Center. This coffee is from the Beshasha mill, which specializes in washed processing utilizing good agricultural practices (GAP). The other half of Bridge Blend is from Peru. This particular coffee is from the umbrella Norandino cooperative – who ensure meticulous traceability and quality control throughout post-harvest processing. It is fully washed and dried in the sun – preserving natural tasting notes of green grapes and apple blossoms.
La Barba Coffee—Guatemala | La Senda Arnoldo & Eugenia
This delightfully sweet anaerobic natural from José Arnoldo Perez & Maria Eugenia Escobar is full of tropical fruit notes along with delicate florals and subtle stone fruit (nectarine). The sweetness of this coffee persists from when it’s hot through as it cools, making you want a refill as soon as you finish the cup.
Floral – Passionfruit – Nectarine
Onyx Coffee Lab—Colombia Tio Conejo Gesha Natural
In the high mountains of Caldas, Colombia, Tío Conejo cultivates coffee with a commitment to tradition, community, and resilience. Nestled at 2,000 MASL on rich volcanic soil, their farm’s high altitude and meticulous practices yield exceptional quality. That quality shows in the cup with pungent fruit characteristics throughout the drinking experience, culminating in pink guava and watermelon candy.
Joe Coffee —Rubí Sisters Catuaí
Perched between the Sierra La Esperanza and Santa Bárbara mountains in Las Vegas, Honduras, lies Finca Ruland 2—a specialty coffee farm as beautiful as it is biodiverse, owned and operated by the Rubí-Landaverde family. Notes of Candied Lemon, Almond Paste, Cinnamon.
Pachamama Coffee Farmers—Guatemala
Grown on the volcanic shores of Lago Atitlán, this is an exceptional single origin medium roast coffee from the Manos Campesinas coop in Guatemala.
CXFFEEBLACK—Fruit Of Our Labor
A HIGA JUNT -NATURAL RWANDA KILIMBI STATION, 1650-1850 MASL
TASTING NOTES: Strawberry, Dark Chocolate, and Passionfruit
New job listings from Sprudge Jobs
Bread & Butter Bakery - Lead Barista - Santa Monica, CA
Remedy Supply Co - Head Roaster & Green Coffee Coordinator - Auburn, CA
Madcap Coffee Company - Quality Control Specialist - Grand Rapids, MI
Do you have a news tip? Feedback? A funny joke? Send us an e-mail, use the contact form on Sprudge, leave a message at 1-888-55-SPRUDGE, or send us a letter at P.O. Box 3943 Portland, OR 97218.