Last fall, our Director of Coffee and Head Roaster were asked to create a new coffee blend that would be a departure from our current offerings. The goal was to craft a blend that would be playful, eccentric, and surprising. Right away our Head Roaster, Camilla Yuan, knew of the first coffee that would be a part of the blend. “We had the Costa Rosta Sonora Estate Bourbon Natural on hand and thought this coffee would be a fun component to build a blend with,” said Camilla, who described the coffee as “wild and fruit-forward.” Our Director of Coffee, Ed Whitman, added that the coffee was “intense, dynamic, juicy, and not something we would normally put in a blend.” From there, Camilla and Ed cupped many different samples of coffees that they hoped would complement the Costa Rica Sonora Estate. After sampling coffees in various combinations for a couple of months, Camilla and Ed landed on the Ethiopia Suke Quto Washed. “The Costa Rica Sonora Estate offers a really bright and upfront acidity that lingers throughout the tasting experience, while notes of strawberry jam and kombucha lend a fun and wacky flavor profile,” Camilla explained. “The Ethiopia Suke Quto has a pleasant citrus acidity that settles nicely with floral and tropical notes.” Ed expressed how both coffees “stand out on their own and have a lot of character…. Since this is a blend of washed and natural coffees, there is a balance of acidity and body, with upfront fruit notes and subtle complexity.”