The 16th annual Sprudgie Awards
Some call it the “The Oscars of Coffee.” Others claim it’s the original Specialty Coffee award. Around here it’s simply known as… The Sprudgies! Welcome one and all to the 16th Annual Sprudgie Awards, presented by Pacific Barista Series. An annual tradition here on Sprudge since all the way back in 2009, The Sprudgie Awards has returned to honor leadership and excellence across the world of coffee. There is no fee to submit a nomination, and no membership required to vote. Open nominations close Tuesday, February 18th at 11:59 PM PST.
Coffee in Porto
While Lisbon may get most of the shine in Portugal, Porto is arguing. It’s making an argument. In what would be a city worth visiting in its own right, the coffee scene in Porto right now makes the prospect all the more enticing. And this week on Sprudge, we take a look at some of the new and exciting coffee shops going right now in Porto.
The secret world of cardamom
Every one has at one time or another accidentally bit into a cardamom pod and can pretty clearly remember the shock of the experience. Commonly found in Indian cuisine, it’s an intense and complex spice and is actually one of the most expensive in the world. But how is it procured? Dona’s Navdeep Kapur takes up inside the world of cardamom sourcing.
Tiramisu purse!
It’s called fashion, look it up. The internet has fallen in love with the latest expression of espresso couture, the tiramisu purse. Which is exactly what is sounds like. Someone took a glass purse and filled it with tiramisu, the iconic Italian dessert. Because when the sweet craving hits, you’d best be prepared.
Should customers be allowed to bring their own milk to cafes?
Recently, one TikTok user explained their “hack” for getting espresso drinks at cafes for half the price. The trick? Bring your own milk. The person would order a shot of espresso and then pour it into a tumbler full of milk and ice they brought from home. Weird, sure, but should it be banned? I mean, they didn’t steal anything. We weigh in on the controversy.
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…
Partners Coffee—Suke Quto Secret Process
This tiny lot comes to us from Suke Quto, our longest running farm relationship in Ethiopia. Tesfaye Bekele has been a champion of sustainable agroforestry in Guji, growing coffee under native forest spared from wildfires. For years we’ve heard rumors of a Suke Quto “secret process,” seemingly an adaptation of natural processing. Now available to us for the first time, we’re tasting flavors of wild cherry and concord grape, white peach, pineapple candy, passionfruit, and root beer.
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
Equator Coffees—Guatemala El Injerto SL28
This fully washed single-origin coffee hails from El Injerto, one of Guatemala’s most renowned farms. With a limited supply available, this lot is a must-try for fans of complex light roasts—especially those who appreciate the distinct character of SL28. Expect vibrant notes of honeysuckle, Pink Lady apple, and almond. Don’t miss out before it’s gone!
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.
THE BARN—HIMALAYA MARAGOGYPE
Every season, our partnership with Mauricio Salaverria lets us showcase some of the finest coffees in El Salvador. Maragogype is a very large varietal and one of Mauricios ‘big three’, alongside Pacamara and Maracaturra. Natural processing brings wonderful sweetness to the Maragogype beans. Expect strawberry, stone fruit, and juicy pineapple, with well balanced acidity. The full texture is reminiscent of lush fruit and sweet nougat.
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.
Klatch Coffee—Panama Janson Alpes Gesha Natural 20 Lot 552
With an accentuated floral flavor and brighter acidity thanks to the Green Tip Gesha varietal, the Panama Janson Gesha Natural 20 Lot 552 will blow you away with notes of black cherry, blackberry and finishes with citrus. This new Geisha is from the Janson Family Coffee Farm near the border between Panama and Costa Rica, which has given this coffee even more unique qualities you won’t find elsewhere. Order now to receive the Monday, January 27th roast of this delightful Gesha from Klatch Coffee.
Mr. Espresso—Regenerative Organic Certified Colombia ASAPROFUCAL
Mr. Espresso is pleased to offer its first Regenerative Organic Certified (ROC) coffee: Colombia ASAPROFUCAL. After having reset the standard for sustainability in the wine industry, Regenerative Organic Certification (ROC) is once again setting the gold standard for organic production in coffee. Founded in 2018, this association of growers has standardized their production processes to create coffee that is consistent in the cup and maintains the floral notes, medium acidity and pronounced body that is characteristic of the south of Tolima.
Stumptown Coffee Roasters—Costa Rica Montes De Oro
The beautiful, balanced Montes De Oro boasts notes of crisp red apple, syrupy black cherry goodness and caramel sweetness. The perfect cup of coffee for the cold winter season!
Passenger Coffee—Ethiopia AGARO
Remarkably complex and subtle, our current Agaro lot is soft and nuanced with vanilla and bergamot aromatics. In the cup one finds citrus, apricot, and a juicy melon character in the finish.
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.
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). Mustefa ferments the pulped coffee for a short period before he moves it to drying beds, where the result is comparable to a beautiful light honey.
The other half of Bridge Blend is from Peru. In Peru, most coffee comes from small farms owned and managed by indigenous people who follow organic farm management practices attuned to their cultural connection to the land. 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.
Dune Coffee Roasters—Ethiopia Idido
This lot of coffee is processed as a natural, which receives particular attention for ripeness and sorting before drying on raised beds. At Idido, each lot is coded for traceability and tracked for consistency throughout the process, before the coffee is stabilized and exported. In the cup, Idido is full of berry and fruit flavors, with a sweet strawberry and juicy grape quality. As the coffee cools, black tea and dark chocolate complexity develops.
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
PERC—Kenya Ndaro-ini
We’re super excited to bring in another stunner from Kenya. This coffee blew us away on the cupping table. It starts with a juicy punch of green apple and transitions to flavors of warm baking spice. It finishes with a sweet brown sugar note that will have you coming back for more before you put down that empty cup. Don’t miss out on this super tasty coffee, y’all.
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.
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
New job listings from Sprudge Jobs
Perc Coffee - Production Roaster - Savannah, GA
Bellwether Coffee - Roasting and Production Associate - Berkeley, CA
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.
&Heirloom Coffee Studio - Taipei City, Taiwan
Coffee Ride Cafe - Nyack, NY
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.