Intelligentsia

Yandaro sits in Kayanza, Burundi, a region that Intelligentsia sources from directly since 2015. Red Bourbon cherries from thousands of smallholder farmers are washed and dried on raised beds with exacting precision. The cup delivers notes of dried apricot, bright clementine, and sweet persimmon with remarkable clarity—a complex, clean profile that reflects high-altitude terroir and meticulous processing. This is one of Burundi's most underrated origins, and a staff favorite for good reason.

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.

Julian and María Teresa Palomino's El Progreso farm sits at 2000 m in the cloud-covered terrain of Totoró, Cauca, where they've spent a decade transforming pasture into thriving Castillo plantings. Double-washed processing delivers exceptional clarity and brightness to the cup. Expect clean sweetness punctuated by distinct notes of plum, peach, and nectarine—a refined expression of Castillo's potential in this high-altitude Colombian terroir.

From the López family's La Mina farm in Buesaco, Nariño at 1,900 m elevation, this washed Caturra has earned multiple Cup of Excellence accolades. The López's selective harvesting and meticulous sorting translate to concentrated fruit expression: pomegranate, mandarin orange, and nectarine leap forward with juicy acidity and aromatic spice. A Direct Trade partner since 2010, La Mina proves that obsessive processing attention at origin delivers measurable complexity and consistency in the cup.

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.

Grown just outside Nairobi in Kiambu County at 1,500–1,950 meters, this coffee comes from 1,000 smallholders in the Gatatha Farmers Company cultivating SL-28 and SL-34 varieties. The washed process and raised-bed drying preserve the coffee's mineral character from the region's high elevation and rich soils. Expect a vibrant cup with white grapefruit, dried florals, and tamarind—refined further by sorting to AA standards, Kenya's most uniform premium grade. This lot represents a commitment to specialty coffee production in a region facing urban pressure, where agricultural tradition persists through cooperative effort.

Persephone is Intelligentsia's annual spring celebration, blending exceptional coffees from small-scale farmers across East Africa and Latin America. Each component is washed and carefully sourced through direct trade relationships, with the featured Kenya Nyeri lot grown at 1,800 m elevation on raised beds. The cup delivers a lively balance of sweet and tart—pomegranate and tamarind lead, followed by bright maraschino cherry notes that capture the vibrant character of seasonal renewal. This is a blend built for drinkers seeking complexity and acidity that mirrors spring's fresh arrival.

Alto Ihuamaca sits in Peru's northernmost Andes at 1800–1850 m elevation, where cool nights and intense sun exposure drive complexity. The Pintado family's Agua Cristalina farm uses washed processing on Bourbon and Caturra selections, drying on raised beds to preserve terroir clarity. Expect Rainier cherry, mandarin orange, and tamarind—a fruit-forward profile with soft, balanced acidity that pulls beautifully as espresso.

This washed Geisha comes from Jose Felipe Cahuachinchay's La Lima farm in Alto Ihuamaca, San Ignacio, Cajamarca, at 1,900 meters elevation. The washed processing highlights the variety's inherent clarity and refinement. In the cup, expect a sweet, elegant espresso with prominent notes of black currant, clove, and dried dates—a profile that justifies Geisha's reputation as one of specialty coffee's most prized varieties. Felipe dedicates a third of his five hectares to Geisha production, a significant commitment to a notoriously low-yielding varietal.

Sapsucker is a seasonal espresso blend that unites distinct lots from Kenya (Nyeri, 1800m, washed and raised-bed dried), Colombia, and Burundi into a deliberately fruit-forward, sweetness-driven profile. The washed processing contributes clean acidity and clarity to the blend's tropical fruit, ripe stone fruit, and citrus character—with specific tasting notes of lime, dried apricot, and tamarind. This is coffee engineered for sweetness and vibrancy rather than heaviness; it's designed to shine as espresso and rewards the pursuit of bright, layered fruit flavors.