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 flavors are more family, to Prime that offers the absolute top of special coffee quality.
House is the foundation we stand on and here we offer specialty coffee From some of the 15 producers we work closely. Everyone is among the best in the world. Each coffee in the series has its unique mix and taste profile. Thanks to the width of the series, we dare say that there is a taste for (almost) everyone. We vary origin and recipes to follow the harvest periods that vary during the year between different parts of the world. This way we make sure that the coffee is always fresh, the flavors the same and your cup really good. In this series you will find several different espresso and brew coffee. Whole beans and ground.
Flavours Is all about lifting the natural flavors in every coffee. The contents of the bag change in line with the harvest periods that vary during the year in different parts of the world. Most coffee is single Origin, but sometimes we can feel that a mixture is what is best in line with the coffee's taste profile. Flavours is perfect for those who are looking for an exceptional cup. A cup that really accentuates the unique taste and character of the coffee.
Farmers is a tribute to the skilled and dedicated producers. With most people we have long and close relationships. We buy limited quantities of specific tickets that distinguished themselves in our tastings. It may be the variety, or a specific part of the farm that really got the best in the coffee. The flavors of these coffee are often sweet and floral with hints of fruit or berries. They broaden the views about how coffee can taste. It is with pride that we highlight our producers and their fantastic crafts.
In the series Prime we offer the spearhead of specialty coffee. The quality and taste is unbeatable and it is often an experience in itself to drink one of these coffee. We release them only 3-4 times a year, making the coffee in the series extremely rare and very sought after. We only have around 200 bags at a time! These coffee is often of an exclusive variety, produced by modern and innovative methods. For those looking for the ultimate coffee experience, we dare to guarantee that the Prime series will satisfy even the most sophisticated taste preferences.
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!
