Black & White Coffee Roasters

Aricha - Washed

Aricha Washing Station sits at 1900 meters in Yirgacheffe, Ethiopia's premier coffee region, where fertile soil and mountainous forests support smallholder farming. Revived in 2018 by trader Faysel Abdosh after near-ruin, the station has quickly earned acclaim for consistently complex, floral coffees. Microlots from local farmers are washed using traditional Ethiopian protocols and dried on raised African beds. The cup delivers vibrant acidity balanced by pronounced sweetness, with a tea-like body and lemonade-bright character punctuated by light floral notes—a definitive modern expression of Yirgacheffe's potential.

Diego Horta - Anaerobic Natural

Diego Horta grows this Caturra and Castillo blend at 1,700 meters in Santa Maria, Huila, Colombia, on his farm El Rincón. After harvest, cherries are sent to La Palma y El Tucán for 190 hours of anaerobic fermentation in GrainPro bags, followed by mechanical drying and sun-finishing. The cup delivers pronounced red fruit—black cherries and grape-like notes—balanced with boozy sweetness reminiscent of cherry cordial, smooth marzipan body, and citrus-spice layers that conjure spiced orange. It finishes with craft chocolate character. Equation Coffee's partnership with Diego through their Neighbors & Crops program brings together a pioneering anaerobic processor and a grower invested in this method's potential.

Duwancho - Full Spectrum

Arbegona in Sidama sits among Ethiopia's highest coffee elevations (2150–2300 masl), where slower ripening builds complexity. This coffee blends two lots from the Duwancho washing station: 60% anaerobic honey (36 hours underwater fermentation, mucilage-retained drying) and 40% washed (fermented, rinsed, clean). The cup opens bright and lightly floral, shifts to structured stone fruit and subtle fermented notes, and drinks clean with enough funk to reward different brewing approaches—think peach iced tea meeting raspberry lemonade with wine-like structure.

Esteban Zamora - Cinnamon Anaerobic

We say it year after year, but this season's cinnamon lot might just be Esteban's best iteration of the concept to date. He's really dialed in the cinnamon anaerobic process, resulting in a cup that showcases both variety and fermentation beautifully. The coffee itself is remarkably sweet, and the play between that confectionary sweetness and the unmistakable cinnamon flavors leaves us contemplating warm cinnamon rolls. The fruit notes seem to be touched by the magic of fall, possessing a "cooked" quality about them that reminds us of baked apples sprinkled with orange zest. The texture is smooth and creamy, persuading even the staunchest of fall naysayers to begin longing for sweater weather.

Finca Deborah - Symbiosis

When

Franky Hoyos - Gesha Tropical

Franky Hoyos, a third-generation farmer at El Encanto in Pitalito, Huila, applies cutting-edge processing to the prized Geisha variety at 1,650 meters. After initial 38-hour oxidative fermentation, the coffee undergoes thermal shock and yeast inoculation before a second 38-hour submerged fermentation, creating a distinctly expressive cup. Tropical and dessert-forward, it delivers guava, mango, orange creamsicle, and pink bubblegum with remarkable clarity. This is advanced washed processing at its most creative—a coffee that proves how technique and heirloom farming wisdom can unlock exceptional flavor.

Gerson Mora - Yellow Pacamara Natural

Grown at 1,680 meters in Palestina, Huila, Gerson Mora's Villa Pastora produces this exceptionally rare Yellow Pacamara—a variety that ripens yellow rather than red. After handpicking, the cherries undergo a 60-hour initial oxidation, followed by 92 hours of anaerobic fermentation with beer yeast (saccharomyces cerevisiae) reintroduced with the fermented must, then 16 days of solar drying. The cup delivers heavy red fruit notes (red cherries), a big rounded body, bright acidity reminiscent of cara cara orange, hibiscus tea aromatics, and a milk chocolate finish. Gerson represents Colombia's new wave—marrying traditional farming with innovative processing and uncompromising quality control.

Hanan Million Getachew - Natural

At a blind cupping table, some of our tasters mistook this cup for a black label offering! It’s the best natural Ethiopian coffee we’ve tasted all year, achieving that rare balance of boasting both fruit notes and florality in equal abundance. Featuring complex florals on the nose and tropical fruit notes, like mango, in the cup, this coffee has a sweetness akin to blackberry jam but sips just like peach iced tea. It blurs the lines between variety and processing in a way that is seldom accomplished, particularly for naturals. This coffee blew us away at the cupping table, and we are confident that you’ll have a similar experience when you first brew it at home!

Huver Castillo - Gesha Floral

Huver Castillo farms in Buesaco, Nariño, Colombia at 1,800 meters elevation, growing Geisha varietal on a family farm spanning over 20 years. The coffee undergoes advanced anaerobic fermentation: whole cherries ferment with brewer's yeast musto, then are de-pulped dry and sealed in stainless steel tanks for 72 hours, before slow drying in temperature-controlled conditions. This process preserves and amplifies the Geisha's inherent floral and aromatic character—white flowers, bergamot, peach—while adding complexity and sweetness. The result sips like black tea with a long, lingering floral finish, delivering the variety's signature elegance without compromise.

Jhonatan Gasca - Thermal Shock Pacamara

Jhonatan Gasca's Pacamara grows at 1,750 meters in Bruselas, Huila, Colombia, on his farm Zarza. The coffee undergoes a hybrid process: 48 hours of oxidation in open bags, 150 hours of anaerobic fermentation to intensify fruit flavors, then a thermal shock finish—alternating hot and cold water to quench the cherries and lock in complexity—before two weeks of careful drying. The cup bridges naturally processed and washed coffees, delivering floral cherry blossom and peach iced tea with red fruit undertones of raspberry and craft chocolate, clean and refined rather than funky. This is Gasca's statement lot, a product of years of experimentation and resilience in processing innovation.

Lasso y Vergara - Community Project

From Acevedo, Huila at 1,750 meters, this coffee is the result of a community-focused project by three young producers—Nestor and Adrian Lasso, plus Jhoan Vergara—who buy cherry from multiple local farmers and process everything together at their wet mill, El Diviso. The washed process includes brief aerobic fermentation, thorough rinsing, and raised-bed drying, yielding a clean, balanced profile. Expect sweet citrus, red stone fruit, and milk chocolate in every cup. This is a straightforward, well-executed Colombian that proves specialty coffee can elevate entire farming communities.

Sebastian Ramirez - Red Fruits

Sebastián Ramírez, a fourth-generation producer and fermentation master from Quindío, Colombia, crafted this standout co-ferment at Finca El Placer. Whole cherries fermented for 120 hours anaerobic with wine yeast, dehydrated strawberries, and fruit glucose, then pulped and fermented again for 72 hours with CO2 injection, creating complex microbial activity. The cup delivers bold cooked strawberry and grape candy notes with stone fruit depth, finishing smooth and creamy. This is masterful experimental processing that rewards curiosity—funky, fruit-forward, and anything but ordinary.

Sebastian Ramirez - Red Fruits Decaf

Sebastián Ramírez, a master of advanced fermentation at Finca El Placer in Quindío, Colombia (1700–1800 masl), created this decaf by co-fermenting whole cherries with wine yeast, dehydrated strawberries, and fruit glucose for 120 hours, then post-pulp fermenting with CO2 injection for 72 hours before controlled drying. The co-fermented lot was blended with a traditional washed coffee and decaffeinated via ethyl acetate extraction (preserving 95–97% flavor while removing caffeine). The result balances Ramírez's signature funky fruit intensity with approachable smoothness: strawberry jam, chocolate cherries, dulce de leche, and milk chocolate in one sip. This is decaf that tastes as thoughtfully made as the original.

Sugarcane Decaf

From Huila, Colombia at 1,800 masl, this decaf employs the sugarcane (EA) process, where green coffee is decaffeinated in-country before export. This vertical integration keeps the coffee fresher and eliminates costly cross-border logistics. The sugarcane method preserves flavor complexity better than traditional decaf techniques, yielding caramel and milk chocolate notes with genuine balance. It's a specialty-grade decaf that doesn't compromise on taste—proof that decaffeination and quality aren't mutually exclusive.

The Classic

The Classic is a year-round blend combining washed coffees from Colombia's Las Nubes (1600–2000 masl) and Ethiopia's Aricha, designed to evoke the comfort and nostalgia of a traditional breakfast coffee. Both lots are washed-processed, contributing brightness and clarity to the cup. Expect caramelized sugars, subtle stone fruits, milk chocolate, and balanced acidity—a rounded, approachable profile that shines with cream and sugar.

The Future - Halloween Candy

The Natural

The Natural is B&W's flagship blend, combining naturally processed coffees from China and Ethiopia that shift seasonally. The blend showcases red fruits—raspberries, cherries, and dark berries—layered with chocolate notes and a balanced to vibrant acidity. Natural processing brings the fruit-forward character that makes this an ideal entry point into specialty coffee, while the seasonal variation reflects the roaster's commitment to working with what's available. This medium-dark roast offers approachable complexity without sacrificing the brightness that defines quality natural coffees.

The New School - Strawberry

The New School pairs West Arsi washed Ethiopian coffee (80%) with a Colombian co-fermented red fruit lot (20%) to bridge two opposing coffee philosophies: clean, approachable classics and adventurous, funky fermentation experiments. The washed Ethiopian foundation from smallholders in Riripa delivers vibrant, fruit-forward clarity, while Sebastián Ramirez's co-fermented Castillo contributes dynamic complexity. Expect strawberry jam, canned pineapple, and milk chocolate in a cup that's simultaneously balanced and striking, traditional and innovative. This is a seasonal blend designed to prove you can have both refinement and experimentation in the same coffee.

The Original

The Original celebrates Ethiopia's foundational role in coffee history, sourcing washed Aricha beans from 1,900–2,200 meters elevation. The washed process highlights the coffee's natural delicacy and brightness. Expect delicate florals, citrus, and honey with balanced, light acidity and a tea-like body—a deliberate lighter roast that lets the coffee's subtle character shine through.

The Traditional

The Traditional is a dark roast from Las Nubes, Colombia, processed via washed method. Black & White's darkest offering balances the deep, approachable flavors dark roast drinkers expect—dark chocolate, cherry, marzipan—with the origin's inherent characteristics. It's crafted for those ready to upgrade from grocery-store dark roasts to specialty-grade coffee, proving that bold roasting and terroir expression needn't be mutually exclusive.

Up and Away 2026 Tea

While we traditionally refer to our combined coffees as “blends,” this tea cake is better described as layered. Each tea remains distinct and has its own role to play in the cup, making the entire sipping experience a dynamic and inviting one. Gedeng’s black tea is smooth and silky, lending notes of brown sugar, toasted cashews, and vanilla to the profile. The white tea from Banzhang adds structure to the cup, bringing stewed peaches and a lingering, raw honey-like sweetness to every sip. This combination brings an aroma of fresh clover, acidity reminiscent of orchard fruits like scuppernong grapes and pears and a finish of walnuts and confectioner’s sugar.

Ushirika - Washed

Approachable, sweet, and easy to drink, this coffee reminds us more of traditional Colombian coffees than conventional Kenyan cups. Sweetness prevails in the cup, with notes of date and milk chocolate at the forefront of each sip. Acidity is surprisingly low for a Kenyan offering, reminding us of orange zest. The fruit character is cooked and cozy, reminding us of baked apples sprinkled with cinnamon.