Intelligentsia

This blend honors the 2026 Bank of America Chicago Marathon, sourced from Guji, Oromo in Ethiopia at 2000–2200 m elevation. The coffee is washed and dried on raised beds, a method that brings clarity to the fruit-forward profile. Expect black cherry, plum, and strawberry notes—a vibrant, approachable cup that reflects Intelligentsia's direct trade partnership (since 2012) and commitment to the Chicago running community.

This Ethiopian washed coffee is specifically formulated to shine in cold formats—whether cold brew or flash-chilled. Raised bed drying preserves the origin's bright, fruit-forward character: caramel sweetness, citrus acidity, and dried apricot depth. The blend delivers consistent, flavorful performance over ice for year-round cold coffee drinkers seeking complexity beyond a standard chilled cup.

This washed Castillo comes from Cauca in southwestern Colombia at 1600–1900 m elevation, where farmers have grown this hardy variety since its 2005 introduction for its resistance to coffee leaf rust. After selective harvesting and delivery to Banexport for processing, the coffee was dried on patios and raised beds. Expect bright navel orange, prune, and dried cherry—a fruit-forward profile that demonstrates Castillo's quality potential beyond its agronomic advantages. A direct trade relationship since 2010 ensures consistency and traceability.

This limited-harvest Geisha comes from Finca La Reforma in Calzontes Arriba, Santa Ana, grown at 1500–1600 meters on the slopes of the Santa Ana Volcano. The Alvarez family, a Direct Trade partner with Intelligentsia since 2003, selectively handpicked and naturally processed this lot with the cherry fruit left fully intact, then dried slowly on raised beds. Expect black cherry, tamarind, and orange—bright acidity and stone fruit complexity characteristic of the variety. Geisha naturals from El Salvador are increasingly rare; this represents both terroir excellence and a decades-long relationship with a committed farming family.

From Finca Malacara in Santa Ana, El Salvador—a legendary estate established in 1888 and still managed by fourth-generation steward Epe Alvarez—this washed coffee showcases the SL-28 variety, a Kenyan cultivar that Epe planted in Malacara's volcanic terroir over a decade ago. Processed via washed method and dried on raised beds, the coffee expresses dried dates, orange, and tamarind notes with clarity and balance. A direct trade partner since 2003, Intelligentsia has anchored this coffee on their single origin menu for more than ten years, honoring both the farm's century-old legacy and the distinctive character this varietal achieves at elevation.

Grown by members of the Alaka Farmers Association in Guji, Oromia at 1900–2200 masl, this coffee was processed by METAD at their Hambela Alaka washing station using natural processing on raised beds. The method keeps fruit fully intact during drying, allowing the heirloom varieties and terroir to express themselves distinctly. Expect blackberry, plum, and tangerine notes backed by the complexity that defines exceptional Ethiopian coffee. METAD's 13-year partnership with Intelligentsia and reputation for meticulous attention make this a standout natural-process lot.

From smallholder farmers surrounding the Ayla washing station in Bombe, Sidama, this Ethiopian coffee grows at elevations up to 2,150 meters alongside shade trees and intercropped crops. Washed in fresh Bonora River water and dried on raised beds, the careful processing preserves the region's inherent sweetness and layered character. As espresso, it delivers bright notes of lime zest, black cherry, and ripe stone fruits with impressive clarity. The high elevation and meticulous sorting at the station make this a standout expression of what Sidama can offer.

From the Guji Oromo region of Ethiopia at 2000–2200 m elevation, this coffee comes from smallholder farmers in METAD's Kirite network, a producer renowned for quality and consistency. Washed and dried on raised beds, the process emphasizes the coffee's clarity and brightness. The cup delivers floral aromatics alongside crisp green apple and sweet red currant notes—a refined, heirloom-driven profile that showcases why Ethiopian coffees remain unmatched for their distinctive character.

Fruit Bat is a seasonal espresso blend drawing from Ethiopia and Kenya's high-altitude fruit-growing regions, with this year's selections sourced from Kiambu County, Kenya (1500–1950 m) and Ethiopian origins. Both coffees are washed and dried on raised beds, a method that preserves the bright acidity and complex fruit character these origins naturally express. Expect a sweet, balanced shot with prominent notes of blood orange, black cherry, and black currant—flavors that emerge from careful sourcing rather than forced flavor development. Intelligentsia's direct trade partnership since 2012 ensures consistency and relationship-driven quality in this yearly reimagined blend.

From La Libertad in Huehuetenango's celebrated coffee mountains, this washed lot represents Milder Velásquez's farm at 1,900 meters elevation. The field blend of traditional varieties is dried on patio and raised beds, a method that builds the coffee's sweetness and complexity. Expect red apple, cherry, and orange notes with excellent balance—a profile that reveals the region's terroir without overstatement. Sourced through a Direct Trade partnership with Coopesqui cooperative since 2020, this is a coffee that returns to the menu for a third year because it consistently delivers quality.

Otoño is Intelligentsia's seasonal blend inspired by autumn's reflective transition, combining lots from Kenya's Kirinyaga region (1500–1800 m elevation) with coffees from Ethiopia and Guatemala. The Kenyan component is washed and dried on raised beds, harvested October 2024–January 2025 from a Direct Trade partner since 2020. The blend bridges bright summer fruit character—plum and cherry—into deeper fall flavors with dried dates, designed to capture the sensory shift of the season. This is a thoughtfully composed multi-origin blend that moves beyond single-origin purity in favor of intentional flavor progression.