Graciano Cruz
We are super excited to release this intensely sweet and floral coffee from Graciano! It’s a natural processed Yellow Catuai with delicious flavours of cantaloupe and a refreshing finish with hints of pineapple. For those of you who have been with us for a while, this coffee was previously known as Panama Pineapple Thief, and it has been a recurring favourite for many years now. This year’s harvest is just as tasty as always. A bit wilder than last year, not as funky as 2022, but as always – a truly special coffee!
Graciano Cruz’s farm, Los Lajones, is located on the slopes of the Barú volcano, at an altitude of 2,000 metres above sea level. This makes it one of the highest farms in all of Central America. Los Lajones is the larger of Graciano’s two farms, with only 35 of its 160 hectares planted with coffee trees. The rest is mainly natural forest, creating a home for over 40% more insects and 20% more birds compared to average farms. Calling it just a farm would be an understatement – it’s more like a jungle with incredibly rich plant and animal life! The farm has been owned by Graciano since 1992, and he primarily grows Yellow Catuai and Geisha.
When he first started producing his coffee as naturals and honeys, many shook their heads – coffee from Panama wasn’t supposed to taste like that!? But Graciano dared to go his own way, and many producers have followed in his footsteps since then. Graciano is truly one of the best producers in specialty coffee, and his coffees have won countless awards in both barista competitions around the world and the prestigious Best of Panama.
The profile of this very special coffee varies more than others from year to year. This depends on everything from the climate on the farm to small variations and experiments in Graciano’s processing methods. For this reason, we test our way through the roasting process each year to find the perfect roast profile. This year, we chose to roast it with a short and aggressive profile, to best highlight the intensely sweet, floral, and slightly wild flavours.
Origin: Boquete, Panama
Producer: Graciano Cruz
Farm: Los Lajones
Altitude: 2000 m.a.s.l
Variety: Yellow Catuai
Process: Natural
Flavours: Intensely sweet and floral with juicy cantaloupe flavours and a refreshing pineapple finish
GRACIANO CRUZ
Graciano Cruz stands among the most esteemed coffee producers worldwide, renowned for his exceptional work across farms in Panama, El Salvador, Ethiopia, Peru, Taiwan, and Brazil. With a deep commitment to ecological agriculture and the natural processing method, Graciano embodies a true inspiration in the coffee industry. His unwavering passion lies in the production of natural and honey-processed coffees, where not a single drop of water is utilized in the processing stage. Instead, coffee cherries undergo meticulous drying on raised beds, ensuring even and thorough dehydration. Under Graciano's careful supervision, the cherries dry slowly on these specialized beds, facilitating optimal air circulation and shielding them from any potential mold development. This precise and attentive process yields an exquisite cup, characterized by vibrant acidity, deep sweetness, and nuances of tropical fruit.
Exceptional coffee starts at the origin. The Farmers series is a tribute to the skilled and dedicated producers which we have a close relationship with. For this series, we purchase limited quantities of specific lots that really stand out when we taste them. It could be the variety or a specific part of the farm that truly brings out the best in the coffee. The flavours of these coffees are often sweet and floral, with hints of fruit or berries, broadening the horizons on what coffee can taste like. It is with a lot of pride we highlight our producers and their incredible craftsmanship through the coffees in the Farmers series.
We have four different coffee series, from House where the flavours are more familiar, to Prime which offers the absolute top tier of specialty coffee quality.
The House series is the foundation we stand upon, featuring specialty coffees from some of the 15 producers we work with closely, all among the best in the world. Each coffee offers a unique blend and flavour profile, and with such variety in the series, we dare say there’s a taste for (almost) everyone. To follow the harvest seasons, we rotate the origin and recipe throughout the year. This ensures the coffee is always fresh, the flavours consistent, and the cup truly delightful! In this series, you’ll find various espresso and filter coffees, both as whole beans and ground.
The Flavours series is where we truly elevate the natural flavours of each coffee. Most of the coffees are single origin, but as the contents of the product change with harvest seasons, occasionally a blend might better suit the flavour profile. Flavours is perfect for those seeking an exceptional cup where the coffee’s unique taste and character truly gets to shine!
The Farmers series is a tribute to the skilled and dedicated producers which we have a close relationship with. For this series, we purchase limited quantities of specific lots that really stand out when we taste them. It could be the variety or a specific part of the farm that truly brings out the best in the coffee. The flavours of these coffees are often sweet and floral, with hints of fruit or berries, broadening the horizons on what coffee can taste like. It is with a lot of pride we highlight our producers and their incredible craftsmanship.
The Prime series is the top tier of specialty coffee. These coffees are of unmatched quality and flavour and drinking them is an experience itself. Sourced only 3-4 times a year, our Prime coffees are extremely limited and highly coveted, with only around 200 bags available of each. These coffees are often of exclusive and rare varieties and produced using modern and innovative methods. For those seeking the ultimate coffee experience, our Prime series is sure to satisfy even the most refined palates.
We specialize in specialty coffee, which means that all the coffee we purchase scores at least 80 points on a 100-point scale – a grading system established by the international coffee organization SCA.
We hold high standards for the producers we work with, both in terms of sustainability and quality. Both aspects demand more and come at a cost, which we gladly pay. The right price is worth every cent!
10 years or more – that's how long we have been working with several of our producers. Simply because they are the best, and we know and trust each other. When we begin new collaborations, which also happens from time to time, we do so with the intention of celebrating 10 years and beyond with them as well. Our close and longstanding relationships are built on a shared philosophy and a desire to improve the conditions for coffee farmers worldwide. Through sustainability and quality!
