This January we are bringing back a favorite from last year, a roasty washed coffee from the Cooperativa Café Timor group in East Timor. This coffee has a medium body paired with the low acidity that is typical of a coffee from Indonesia. The roastyness starts right away with notes of dry roasted almond right at the front of the cup. In the middle, you get the smokyness and lightness of Hojicha tea combined with subtle chocolate notes. The finish is dry and lingering with roasty almond notes combining with the subtle sweetness of chocolate and black cherry. 

Roast Color: Medium-Dark

Cupping Notes: Dry Roasted Almond, Black Cherry, Hojicha Tea

About the coffee of the month: We feature a new coffee every month. This allows us to explore more of the world of coffee outside of our normal offerings. It is available this month only, while supplies last. 

Story: East Timor is a specialty coffee origin that is one of the very first places where the Portuguese started cultivating coffee some 200 years ago. Since then, there was a leaf rust outbreak that nearly wiped out all of the island’s arabica production. Cooperativa Cafe Timor (CCT) is at the forefront of coffee’s revival in East Timor, working with more than 25,000 farmers that cultivate just a few acres of coffee to sustain their families. CCT operates a centralized wet mill to support harvests from small farms so farmers do not have to invest in mill equipment.  Production is small enough for each individual farmer to focus on meticulous cherry sorting. After purchasing and transporting to the central mill, cherries are depulped, fermented, washed, and dried. CCT has made infrastructure innovations like additional drying structures that have greatly improved their ability to consistently meet quality standards for moisture content and water activity. CCT has helped producers achieve organic certification and establish best farm management practices. With this model of collaboration, CCT has established traceable community blends with a vibrant regional profile ensuring greater producer earnings from direct trade relationships. CCT also funds rural health clinics to ensure that families have access to medical care.