Alpha - Espresso Blend

POPAYAN RESERVE
Popayán Reserve brings together coffees from a network of smallholder producers across the highlands of Cauca. These farms are typically family-run, with coffee grown at high elevation and selected to meet consistent quality standards before being combined into the regional lot. The program is designed to reward quality, with producers receiving agronomic support, feedback on their coffees and stronger premiums for higher-performing lots.

SITIO LAS COLINAS - Luiz Flavio
Luiz Flávio is dedicated to sustainable coffee production, with a strong commitment to environmental preservation, protecting the springs and forested areas found on the property.
Sítio Las Colinas is located in the municipality of Carmo de Minas, in southern Minas Gerais, within the Serra da Mantiqueira region, at an average altitude of 1,000 m.a.s.l. With its mountainous terrain, the region offers a unique
climate and fertile soils that are ideal for the production of specialty coffees.

EL INDIO - ASOPEP & ASCI’SP
The coffee that forms the El Indio lot is made up from two cooperatives in Tolima - ASOPEP (“Asociación de Productores Egológicos de Planadas”) and ASCI’SP (the “Association of Indigenous Coffee Growers of San Pedro Páez in Gaitana).
ASOPEP was established in 2013 with the aim of supporting coffee producers to improve their farming practices and processing methods - so that they can obtain a higher income for their coffees - alongside designing an environmental conservation model for their farms. The (approx. 200) members receive training and education on the production of speciality coffee, and the cooperative has also set up a youth collective to train young people in cupping, quality control and barista skills.
ASCI’SP was founded in 2014 for the purpose of benefiting the Nasa We’sx indigenous community based in the south of Gaitan, Tolima. It now has 80 coffee producing members and cultivates 207 hectares of land in total.

WASHED PROCESS
The coffee is processed using the traditional washed method, with ripe cherries pulped before the remaining mucilage is broken down through fermentation and removed with clean water. The parchment coffee is then carefully dried to a stable moisture content.

NATURAL PROCESS
The ripe coffee cherries are hand picked and allowed to dry completely around the seed before being husked or hulled off. While historically this hulling was done by hand with a kind of mortar-and-pestle setup, today it’s done by machinery that can be finely calibrated.
While the coffee is drying the sugars are continually fermenting inside the cherry while there is enough moisture to feed the microorganisms. This can take up to 30 days on average.
Due to the long fermentations, natural processed coffees often display fruity or “pulpy” flavours, often described as “boozy” or “winey”; can also have strong nutty and/or chocolate characteristics, and typically has a heavier or syrupy body

Alpha Blend Espresso Recipe

Alpha is a medium-light blend of natural processed coffees, designed to be sweet, fruit-forward, and expressive. For espresso, we recommend a slightly longer yield to open up the aromatics and keep the cup balanced.

Black Espresso

Dose: 20 g
Yield: 44–46 g
Ratio: 1:2.2–1:2.3
Time: 27–31 seconds
Temperature: 93°C
Pressure: 9 bar

This recipe gives Alpha room to shine as a black coffee, bringing more clarity, sweetness, and structure to the cup. Start at 20 g in / 45 g out / 29 seconds, then adjust from there.

If the espresso tastes sharp or thin, grind slightly finer or reduce the yield. If it tastes heavy, bitter, or dry, grind slightly coarser or pull a little longer.

Milk Espresso

Dose: 20 g
Yield: 38–40 g
Ratio: 1:1.9–1:2
Time: 26–30 seconds
Temperature: 93°C
Pressure: 9 bar

For milk, we prefer a slightly tighter shot to preserve body and sweetness. Start at 20 g in / 40 g out / 28 seconds.

This gives the blend enough intensity to carry through milk while keeping the natural-process fruit character rounded and clean. It works especially well in flat whites, cappuccinos, and smaller milk drinks where espresso character matters