Coffee Masters is a multi-disciplinary global barista tournament designed by Allegra Events and coffee creative duo Rob Dunne & Victor Frankowski. The competition sees some of the world’s best baristas compete head-to-head, in an extreme test of a barista’s skill as they contend for the prestigious Coffee Master.  

We've carefully gathered nine unique coffees, with the aim of pushing competitors to their absolute limits. Sourcing these coffees involved travelling to coffee producing regions in Kenya, Ethiopia, Rwanda, Costa Rica, Colombia, El Salvador and Panama to name a few. Much like the Coffee Masters competitors, these coffees have gone through a rigorous selection process before they made the cut.

We introduce to you ‘The Niners’.

Click to download a PDF with all Niners information

DATERRA, INGA

CERRADO DE MINAS, BRAZIL

Process - Tree dried natural
Varietal - Icatu (Red/Yellow)
Drying type/time - Tree dried natural
Altitude - 1150 Masl
Harvested - October 2015
Extra - Shade grown

We’ve been working with Daterra Coffees for over three years now, the quality has always been high and every year they seem to conjure a new way to push the boundaries even further.

This selection is named Inga after the native trees that provide its shade cover. Shade growing crops is standard practice in other coffee producing countries but is an anomaly in Brazil. The obvious benefit from shade growing is protection from the sun and harmful UV rays. Another bonus of growing coffee with shade trees is that you create a microclimate; this allows the cherries to mature with stable temperatures, adding natural organic matter, helping to enrich the soil, and creating an environment for a diverse range of fungus and bacteria to flourish. 

WOTE KONGA

YIRGACHEFFE, ETHIOPIA

Process - Washed
Varietal - Ethiopian Heirloom
Drying type - African raised beds
Altitude - 1800 - 2000 Masl
Harvested - December/January 2015/2016

Our recent visits to Ethiopia in late 2015, and again early this year unearthed some incredible coffees, which we are very proud to be able to share with you. 

Wote Konga is one of the highest quality washed Ethiopian coffees we’ve ever purchased. From the famed Konga region of Yirgacheffe, it is an embodiment of the classic flavour note of the region; lemon oil and bergamot. From the moment we walked into the washing station, we knew something special was happening there.

CHIRE

SIDAMA, ETHIOPIA

Process - Washed
Varietal - Ethiopian Heirloom
Drying type/time - African raised beds
Altitude - 1950 Masl
Harvest - December/January 2015/2016

Our love affair with coffee from the Sidama region of Ethiopia has been going on for a long, long time, so to connect with this gem of a washing station has made us very happy coffee roasters.

We traveled the Sidama region extensively on our pre-harvest visit in December, looking for washing stations to work with in the foreseeable future. We're happy to say we found a staggering number producing incredible coffee, applying sustainable practices and interested in trying new things. Watch this space!

PAULINA LOPEZ / EL MIRADOR

HUEHUETENANGO, GUATEMALA

Process - Washed
Varietal - Caturra, Bourbon
Drying type - Patio
Altitude - 1800-2100 Masl
Harvest - December/January 2015/2016

We've been working with Nadine from Third Wave Coffee Source (TWCS) in Guatemala for over three years now. This relationship has enabled us to see first hand the depth and range of her unique skill set. An unrivalled specialist in all aspects of Guatemalan coffee we were introduced to a steep and exciting learning curve.

Our first visit to El Mirador was in the early part of 2015, and again this year in January 2016. The honey and washed coffee from Paulina Lopez took centre stage in our summer coffee offer last year. Jose Alberto & Carlos, Paulina's sons, have taken over the management of the farm, working closely with TWCS to improve all aspect of production. We're excited to be on this journey with the Lopez family and TWCS and are committed to our joint partnership together.

DARIO LOAIZA / EL DIVISO

PALESTINA, HUILA - COLOMBIA

Process - Washed
Varietal - Caturra (40%red / 60%yellow)
Drying type - Parabolic dryer
Altitude - 1620 Masl
Harvest - November 2015

Coffee from Huila, Colombia is truly one of life’s pleasures. With its bouquet of floral aromas and distinct flavouring of apricot and peaches, it's always a highlight of our frequent visits to Colombia.

Darrio Loaiza was previously a successful cattle farmer in Cúcuta, Santander, but decided to relocate his family four years ago to Huila, due to feeling unsafe as guerillas (rebels) had taken up action in the region. Darrio is already having success as a coffee producer, with El Divsio gaining 2nd place in the cup of Huila competition last year.

PEDRO TRUJILLO / EL JARDIN

TIMANA, HUILA - COLOMBIA

PProcess - Washed
Varietal - Tabi
Drying type - Parabolic dryer
Altitude - 1750 masl
Harvest - November 2015

We've been working with Pedro Trujillo for two years now, visiting his farms on three separate occasions. We showcased this coffee last year at the London Coffee Festival, and knew it had to be a repeat offender.

El Jardin is one of 3 farms owned by Pedro Trujillo, all of which are situated next to each other in Cerrania de las Minas between the Central and Western Mountain Ranges in Southern Huila. The area is exposed to varying degrees of rainfall 70% of the year and has remarkable day-night temperature variances of between 20c and 25c degrees. Evenings can drop as low as 5 degrees in winter, and during the summer months, daytime temperatures can be upward of 30. Pedro attributes the quality of his coffee to this unique fact; the slower growth of his coffee due to these varying temperatures means the cherry takes longer to grow ensuring a slow and steady development of sugars.

ERNEDIS RODRIGUEZ / EL PARAISO

GIGANTE, HUILA - COLOMBIA

Process - Washed
Varietal - Caturra
Drying type - Raised beds inside Parabolic dryer
Altitude - 1800 masl
Harvest - November 2015

By now you've most likely noticed the full extent of our love for coffee from Huila. Although all have come to us from the same department in Colombia, they are three very different and distinct micro-regions.

El Paraiso is nestled in the far reaches of the valleys surrounding the small township of Gigante in Central Huila. The farm is planted with Caturra and Castillo over 8 Hectares of incredibly steep terrain. Ernedis is using the notable drying technique of putting African style raised beds inside parabolic dryers. The added space between the beds and the floor, allow more air to circulate through and around the parchment. This is crucial to help reduce the risk of over-fermentation and provides a consistently even moisture level.

ALISON NSIMBA

MBEYA, TANZANIA

Process - Washed
Varietal - Heirloom
Drying type - African raised beds
Altitude - 1700 Masl
Harvest - October 2015

Although it’s not as famous for quality coffee as its Northern and Western neighbours, we’ve always had a love for Tanzanian coffee. This selection comes to us through our long-standing relationship with Falcon Speciality Coffees and the newly formed Tembo washing station.

Alison Nsimba lives in Isuto, a mountainside village in Mbeya and at age 25, is one of the youngest producers we’ve worked with. Alison has an infectious passion for agronomy and agriculture, sharing his knowledge and learned expertise with other local producers and even offering a collection service to those without means or transportation. Alison has been working on varietal diversification and has recently planted 500 new seedlings received from the national investigation centre.

GAKUI

MOUNT KENYA, KENYA

Process - Washed
Varietal - Sl-28, Sl-34
Drying type - African raised beds
Altitude - 1800 Masl
Harvest - Main crop - December/January 2015/2016

The Niners Series, wouldn't and couldn't be complete, in our minds without a coffee from Kenya. A pivotal moment in many roasters calendar is awaiting samples from Kenya; we took matters into own hands landing in late December just in time to taste the first samples from a handful of washing stations.

The Gakui factory was built in 1996 and sits at 1,800 metres above sea level, under the looming frame of Mount Kenya. Gakui is a forward thinking society and offers their farmers an array of benefits. These include access to agro-inputs, agronomists to help advise on maximising production and access to computers with the internet, enabling them to record data and statistics on their coffee farm and the broader coffee market.

Creating the Niners series has been a challenging and rewarding project for the whole team at Caravan Coffee Roasters. We have thoroughly enjoyed the task of sourcing and roast profiling nine unique and interesting coffees to challenge the competitors and hopefully produce a great competition. We hope you enjoy our Niners series as much as we do and thank you for taking the journey with us!