The Sprudge Report - Seasons Blendings
The holidays are nigh.
A guide to holiday blends
Who doesn’t love a holiday blend? Nobody that’s who. The holidays bring in family, with a broad spectrum of coffee preferences, and the blend is one of the best ways to satisfy the most folks. So, as is our wont, we’ve put together a guide to Holiday Blends for 2024. This year’s version pulls the very best of coffees from the Sprudge Roasters Village, a who’s who of quality-focused coffee roasting confabs with whom we’re proudly partnered. There’s so much to love here: multi-bean fiestas, single-origin gobwhallops, unique melanges of origins far and near, and so much more besides.
A Coffee Design double
We published two Coffee Design features this week, starting things off with Cafe Aroma in New Jersey. The family-owned coffee company has had the same branding since the ‘60s, and so it was time for a little update. The design stays true to the original, but with an overall cleaner look. Meanwhile in Seattle, Onda Coffee has gone playful with their new design, with bright, litho cut-style imagery and big, bold colors.
Coffee is life
Coffee is good for you, all of you, from head to toe. It keeps you healthy and helps you live longer. But how much longer exactly? That’s what a new meta-study sought to find out, and it turns out, drinking coffee on a regular basis equates to about two extra years of life.
Cold brew goat cheese?
Coffee and cheese are strangely great together (which I guess makes sense because what is cheese if not milk with extra steps?), but there are still some combinations that stretch all credulity. One such combo is goat cheese and cold brew… and donuts?! That’s the latest flavor variant from Montchevre, and it’s just a lot.
Finca Deborah’s Jamison Savage is opening a cafe in Florida
Jamison Savage is one of the biggest names in high-end coffee production, specifically Panama Geshas. Both the winner and runner-up of this year’s World Barista Championship used a Gesha from Savage’s Finca Deborah, in fact. Savage also roasts some of his own coffee under the brand Savage Coffees, who it was recently announce will be opening a retail location early next year in St. Petersburg, Florida. There will be Geshas, sure, but expect more approachable coffees as well.
Klein Blue if I was green I would die
We love a good ceramic here at Sprudge, and this week we found a pretty unique one. The Klein Blue Ceramic Coffee Set on Kickstarter offers one of the most captivating colors to ever grace a piece of servingware, but what’s going on with that handle? How does it work? One thing is for sure: it’s a statement piece.
Kansas City Qualifier Results
27 more coffee professionals have punched their tickets to the national stage of competition for the 2025 US Coffee Championships. The fifth Regional Qualifying Event took place over the weekend at Messenger Coffee/The Roasterie in Kansas City, Missouri, holding competitions for the Barista Championship, Brewers Cup, and Coffee in Good Spirits. So let’s take a look at everyone who is moving on.
Klatch Coffee Empire, Co-Ferments, PERC Coffee And More On The Coffee Sprudgecast
Jordan Michelman and Zachary Carlsen return for another rousing episode of the Coffee Sprudgecast. Myths are busted, minds are opened, and we have thoughts on special gifts for special friends. They their holiday wish lists and drink a Chemex of Klatch Coffee’s Empire Blend and brew a couple of Ceado Hoop Coffee Brewers of PERC Coffee’s box set of Cinnamon and Lychee co-ferments from Colombia.
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…
La Barba Coffee—Colombia | Diego Bermudez Letty Gesha
A monument to what coffee is and can be, this directly sourced Gesha has a distinct peach note with a pineapple acidity and delicate caramel character. All is the result of meticulous farming and a scientific approach to processing. Notes: Pineapple – Peach – Caramel
Madcap Coffee—Rianjagi
The Rianjagi (Re-an-jah-gee) Factory is based in Mutunduri, Embu County, Kenya. Both the factory and the Rianjagi Farmer’s Cooperative Society are owned by the farmers, who receive benefits from the cooperative society, such as agricultural training and marketing for their coffee. Once picked and delivered to the factory, the cherries are sorted prior to being pulped and sorted once more, this time by density, before fermenting in tanks for 12-16 hours. Finally, the pulped coffee is washed and moved to raised beds before being dry milled. Enjoy notes of juicy pomegranate, mango, and delicate elderflower.
Equator Coffees—El Salvador Finca Kilimanjaro Natural
This natural-process single origin coffee from Aida Battle at Finca Kilimanjaro was given a medium roast, bringing forward more smooth & mellow notes of almond & molasses. Aida’s coffee doesn’t just taste exceptional – it’s improving lives too. Aida has garnered admiration for her commitment to quality and transparency, as well as for providing high wages, health care and other benefits for her workers in the Santa Ana growing region.
Klatch Coffee—Ready-to-Go Espresso
Klatch Coffee’s new “Ready-To-Go Espresso” is a bottled, ready to use premium espresso concentrate that can be used to make cafe-style beverages at home. Perfectly crafted for use anytime, anywhere without the time or equipment needed for brewing.
You can use Ready-To-Go Espresso concentrate to make both hot and cold beverages, including favorites like flavored lattes, espresso tonics, and more. Klatch has even included a card with 4 recipes that you can make at home, expertly curated by their award-winning baristas.
Night Swim Coffee—The Holiday Blend
This coffee encapsulates our commitment the 2024 year, to share coffees with you that help you reminisce on familiar experiences while enjoying something very new! We’ve blended a bright and fruity anaerobic natural from Yirgacheffe, Ethiopia and a washed peaberry from the island of Papua New Guinea.
The Barn Berlin—CHRISTMAS COFFEE
Every year we search far and wide to find the perfect coffee to share at Christmas. This year is no different. This washed lot from David Rubanzangabo at the Huye Mountain estate offers perfect notes for the festive season. With sweet praline, candied fig, orange, and warm winter spice, it is like Christmas in a cup. Whether sharing with family and friends or enjoying some quiet, cosy days, the flavour of our Christmas Coffee will be sweet and satisfying.
Phil & Sebastian—Pepe Jijon Sidra Washed
This is probably one of the most elegant coffees we’ve had in our Uncommon Collection. Pepe likes his coffees super clean – to let them fully express their terroir. This coffee is delicate and elegant. The clementine and kiwi notes lead, and then they are rounded out with notes of sage and butterscotch all enveloped in a delicate yet creamy white tea body.
This is our third year working with Pepe. He is passionate about reforestation and harmony with the environment and his farm very much reflects this. He is one of Ecuador’s most decorated coffee producers, having won the 2023 Sprudge Notable Producer award.
Passenger Coffee & Tea —Holiday Coffee
Tart cranberry and cherry are accompanied by a toffee-like sweetness alongside flavors of orange marmalade, vanilla, and subtly spiced milk chocolate, making for a perfect pairing with a wide array of sweet and savory seasonal dishes.
Producer: Wilson Alba Origin: Palestina, Caldas, Colombia
PERC—China Lao Xu Zhai Village
This is the first coffee PERC has sourced from China. The quality and unique cup profile of this lot blew us away. It’s an incredibly sweet cup with a unique plum and cherry acidity. Baking spices, chocolate, and a subtle licorice/herbal quality round out the finish. We’re stoked to partner with the folks at Torch Coffee and Lao Xu Zhai on this truly unique coffee.
Portland Coffee Roasters—Holiday Roast
Indulge in the spirit of the season with our Holiday Roast! Each year, we release a Limited Time Offering that benefits organizations helping people near and far. What started as a one-time celebration of festive goodwill has evolved into a tradition we have cherished for over 15 years!
For every 12oz bag or bulk pound of Holiday Roast sold, $1 will be donated to Growing Gardens – a Portland non-profit using the experience of growing food to cultivate healthy, equitable communities.
Sightglass Coffee—Winter Solstice
Returning for the fifth year, we’re excited to release something exceptional for the holiday season: our Winter Solstice Blend. Named for the longest night and shortest day of the year, Winter Solstice is the perfect accompaniment to cool weather and changing seasons. A time when we crave comfort, warmth, the familiar, and the surprising. For Winter Solstice, we combine two amazing coffees from Kenya and Colombia to evoke flavors of chocolate truffle, marzipan, and blackberry.
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.
Stumptown Coffee Roasters —Guatemala El Injerto Pacamara
Pacamara is the result of a combination of teamwork, a unique microclimate and good plant genetics! All of these factors come together to produce one of the most award-winning flavorful coffees in the world. Each decadent cup features notes of ripe peach and sugar cane complemented by a touch of sage – truly exquisite!
Partners Coffee—Honduras – San Francisco Natural Bourbon
Roger Domínguez produces some our favorite natural process coffees, like this red bourbon from Finca San Francisco. This coffee is all punchy and jammy red fruits—think strawberry and raspberry compote or rhubarb pie—supported by subtle notes of chocolate and brown sugar. A delicious filter coffee.
Dune Coffee—Honduras Benjamin Paz Gesha
Benjamin Paz is a multiple time Cup of Excellence winner, taking first place with his coffees in 2022 and 2024. His farm, La Salsa, is is located on the Santa Bárbara mountain of Honduras. Here, the rainforest and proximity to water create a unique microclimate, where the Gesha variety thrives amidst these high elevations on the farm. Benjamin then processes this coffee using an anaerobic washed process, preserving the floral flavors and silky textures of the Gesha variety grown in the Santa Bárbara terroir. Benjamin’s Gesha reminds us of sweet stonefruit and vibrant citrus, with aromatic floral qualities like jasmine and honeysuckle.
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.
Olympia Coffee—Alexander Vargas Pink Bourbon
Alexander Vargas is a Cup of Excellence-winning producer for his Pink Bourbon varietal. He continues to innovate in processing and drying, making his coffees an absolute delight for us to roast. The variety is native to Colombia, specifically Huila, with the name inspired by the cherry ripening with a pinkish hue.
CXFFEEBLACK—Fruit Of Our Labor
A HIGA JUNT -NATURAL RWANDA KILIMBI STATION, 1650-1850 MASL
TASTING NOTES: Strawberry, Dark Chocolate, and Passionfruit
Verve Coffee Roasters—Seabright
From our house to yours, Seabright House Blend is undeniably inviting. Seabright showcases apricot and honeydew flavor notes composed of direct trade coffees from El Salvador and Guatemala. A balanced mouthfeel. And aromatics of toasted hazelnuts. Set yourself up for a winning day with one of our easiest drinking blends.
Mr. Espresso—Mexico Mayan Village — Women’s Lot
Rosalba Cifuentes Tovía came to the San Francisco Bay Area from Chiapas, Mexico, with two small children and without knowing any English. What she did know was coffee. Incredibly, she built a network within Bay Area coffee circles. It has been her passion to use her coffee expertise to uplift the people from her native community of Chiapas. Rosalba has grown Mayan Harvest into a source that represents some of the best in the region. Combined with direct traceability and an exquisite taste that brings to mind notes of cherry, cream, and panela, this is a coffee you’ll feel good about buying and better about drinking.
New job listings from Sprudge Jobs
Equator Coffees - Production Roaster - San Rafael, CA
Sisters Coffee Company - Director of Retail - Sisters, OR
Corvus Coffee Roasters - Cafe Manager - Denver, CO
New cafes on Sprudge Maps
Here are new cafes discoverable on our global cafe portal Sprudge Maps. Register your cafe for free—thanks to the support of La Marzocco and Pacific Barista Series.
Presta Coffee Roasters - Tucson, AZ
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.