We are donating 15% of all proceeds from this coffee to Hope of the Valley Rescue Mission!
This blend is composed of two washed process coffees from Ethiopia and Colombia. The Ethiopian component brings a beautiful floral note and sweet citrus acidity, while the Colombian tones down the overall acidity with cocoa and hazelnut cream. This is a sweet, silky, easy drinker that can be used for both drip and espresso (works well with milk too) and even cold brew. We created this blend to be as well-rounded as can be for our first ever blend!
We named this blend "Community" because we love our LA community as well as the way coffee can bring a community together to create conversation and build and strengthen relationships. We hope our Community blend will do just that!
It breaks our hearts to see the growing spread of homelessness within our community. Based locally in the San Fernando Valley, Hope of the Valley's mission is to prevent, reduce and eliminate poverty, hunger and homelessness by offering immediate assistance and long-term solutions. The organization is making a difference in Los Angeles by providing housing, food, services, and hope to those in need.
Hope of the Valley is an organization that we support both personally and through our church. We are encouraged by Hope of the Valley Rescue Mission's love for the community and are honored to support it through this blend.
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Notes: Strawberry Kiwi Soda, Brandy, Peppermint Bark Chocolate
Good character takes time to develop. Before its roasted, coffee is green and porous. It takes on the character of its surroundings. That’s why great care is taken to ensure green coffee is stored in a cool, dark, humidity-controlled environment to reduce taints. This time, we took a chance and broke the rules to explore the effects of storing coffee on flavor. This offering is the result of a 4-month-long experiment in aging a natural processed Rwandan coffee in a charred oak bourbon cask. We think it aged beautifully and the bourbon notes complement the coffee’s origin notes quite pleasantly so we are excited to share our findings with you!
ABOUT THE BEAN
This specially prepared, natural process coffee comes from Dukunde Kawa Musasa Co-operative in the Gakenke region of Northern Rwanda. The co-op is one of Rwanda's largest with over 2,100 members, whose farms range between 1,700 and 2,000masl. 'Dukunde kawa' means "Let's Love Coffee" in the Kinyarwanda lanuage, in reference to the power of coffee to improve the lives of farmers in rural communities. This lot is Fairtrade & Rainforest Alliance certified.
THE PRODUCERS
Founded in 2000, The Dukunde Kawa Musasa Cooperative cultivates its high-quality coffee near a mountain gorilla habitat at around 1,800masl, in Rwanda's rugged North-West. By producing high-end coffee for the international market and employing a majority female workforce, the cooperative ensures maximum benefits to local families. In 2003, it built a washing station with funds provided by the Rwandan ministry of defense. In exchange for this support, the Dukunde Kawa donates 10 percent of its net profits annually to fund the construction of other washing stations throughout Rwanda. Fairtrade Certified since 2004, Dukunde Kawa secures a high standard of living for Rwandan farmers by ensuring access to an economically and environmentally sustainable coffee industry. Before the proliferation of washing statiuons such as those owned by the co-op, the norm in Rwanda was for smallholder farmers to sell semi-processed cherries to middle-men, bringing low prices and severe hardship to farmers. Today it's a different story: farmers who work with the co-op have seen their income at least double. Eighty percent of Dukunde Kawa's producers are women. Each member has been able to buy a farm animal, and many now have health insurance for the first time. Dukunde Kawa also constructed 2 schools for local children in 2006 and provides members with long-term credit at no interest. Many farmers renovated their homes and now all members’ homes have tile rather than grass roofs.
THE PROCESS
Ripe cherries are hand sorted and floated to separate by density, selecting only the highest quality for processing. The cherries are then dried in the sun on raised African beds for 20-25 days, allowing many of the sugars from the fruit to transfer into the bean, giving the coffee a sweet and jammy profile. During this period the cherries must be constantly turned and sorted to ensure consistent drying and prevent over-fermentation. Specialty natural processing is somewhat unusual for Rwanda, which has seen a surge in fully washed processing since the year 2,000. THE REGION Gakenke district lies in North West Rwanda near the Volcanoes National Park, home to 1 of only 3 populations of endangered mountain gorillas in the world. Like much of Rwanda - "the land of a thousand hills" - the terrain is mountainous, rugged and exceptionally beautiful. Rich volcanic soils, plentiful sunshine, and tropical rainfall provide exceptional conditions for the cultivation of arabica, and the Bourbon variety particularly excels in the high elevations of Rwanda's mountains.
Elevation
1750-1950m
]]>The Convocation Coffee team is thankful for the communities that have shaped our experiences and who we are. This month, we partnered with Cafe Colione on a special, limited release to support Asian American and Pacific Islander communities. MOMODA is a blend from 3 different origins: Indonesia, China, Laos. After rounds of sampling and tasting, we are proud to offer these beans from underrepresented origins!
You can find MOMODA at Cafe Colione!
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The Termico process is a new, experimental coffee process invented by don Luis Campos of Cordillera de Fuego. The process enhances the natural sweetness and fruit flavors of the coffee. The process starts by selecting the cherries when they are at their ripest allowing them to have a high sugar content and thus feeding the Termico process. The semi-washed coffee is then heated with some of the coffee mucilage left on the bean. The exposure to the heat starts to breakdown the natural sugars of the coffee cherries, partially caramelizing them. This inventive process gives the coffee an exceptionally sweet and fruity flavor as well as a round and balanced cup.
Try our Costa Rica Cordiellera De Fuego Termico Process today!
Our Experience
Upon first whiff, a sweet hazelnut and dried fruit fragrance permeates the senses. complex strawberry acidity rounds the palate, tapered off by a nutty, lingering toffee flavor reminiscent of a cabernet sauvignon of fine vintage. This is quite an intense coffee and we understand that it may not be everyone’s preference for a daily drinking coffee so we offer in 8 ounce packages.
Story
Coffee arabica was first introduced to Laos by French colonist circa 1915. The high elevation and mineral-rich volcanic soil of the Bolaven Plateau create an ideal environment for coffee plants to thrive. While over half of the labor force in Laos work in agriculture, nearly a quarter fall below the poverty line. Coffee farmers are able to boost their earning-potential through the high value of quality arabica coffee exports, enabling many families to put their children through school.
Vitals
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Our experience
One way to describe it is “refined elegance.” It is far from wild, yet uniquely distinct. We get a clear separation of floral aromas and taste a marriage of sweetness and acidity: a bouquet of jasmine flower, white roses, and mandarin orange blossom. This coffee is roasted lightly, but has a surprisingly velvet body and a soft, pleasant finish. This is one that tea drinkers would greatly enjoy! We recommend letting this one rest about one week post-roast to enjoy at peak flavor.
Story
The Guji zone in Ethiopia is world-renowned for floral and fruity cup characteristics. Heirloom varietals from 600 smallholder farmers in the world’s oldest growing region make their way to Feku Jiberil’s coffee washing station where the coffee cherry plant is fully washed after pulping and fermenting for 36-48 hours, soaked overnight, and sun dried on raised beds.
Vitals
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