Little Waves Coffee

Amor Prohibido is Little Waves' rotating blend of American coffees, crafted to deliver a consistently sweet, chocolate-forward profile. Notes of toffee and candied orange provide balance and complexity to this full-bodied cup. It excels in milk-based beverages, where its candy-sweet character becomes more pronounced. This is a approachable, indulgent blend designed for coffee drinkers who prize sweetness and body over origin complexity.

Ana María Donneys grows this Caturra at 1,450 meters in Circasia, Quindío, Colombia, on Finca La Paloma. The natural anaerobic process—12 hours controlled oxidation followed by 72-hour sealed-tank fermentation—builds complex aromatics and a creamy, juicy body. Expect blueberry, pink starburst, rum punch, and tamarind with a clean, lingering finish. Named for Ana's grandmother's favorite flower, this coffee merges family legacy with meticulous technique: slow sun-drying on African beds preserves lipid content for aromatic depth and stability.

From Finca La Primavera in Circasia, Quindío at 1,450 meters, this coffee showcases Ana María Donneys's partnership with the University of Quindío to push fermentation science. The honey anaerobic process—96 hours in cherry under CO₂, then 24 hours post-pulp with a university-isolated lactobacillus and yeast consortium—creates layered aromatic complexity while keeping fermentation clean and bright. Expect strawberry yogurt, magnolia, pink lady apple, and a papaya finish with the juicy acidity that comes from intentional lactic and citric acid development. This is specialty coffee rooted in research and respect for terroir, from a fifth-generation grower committed to quality and community.

This rare Geisha comes from San Juan la Laguna on the southern shores of Lake Atitlán, where AproCafé Atitlán's 54 smallholder producers cultivate coffee between volcanic peaks. The extended-fermentation washed process—36 hours in cherry, then 24 hours depulped fermentation—builds complexity while maintaining a clean, vibrant cup. Expect floral, lemon, honey, and white tea notes with notable sweetness and structure. Limited to one or two bags per harvest, this experimental microlot from an association-owned plot represents the group's commitment to innovation and represents only the second year of the roaster's partnership with AproCafé.

Sourced from 168 family-owned farms in Bella Vista, a remote mountain community in Chiapas, Mexico, this lot specifically highlights coffees from the Mayan Harvest Women's Group—female producers working to overcome gender inequity in the region's coffee industry. The processing method is not specified, but the coffee reflects the dedication of farmers like Rosalba Cifuentes Tovia, whose family has grown coffee there for over a century. In the cup: cinnamon sugar, apple cider, and milk chocolate—a profile that showcases the elegance Mexican coffees can achieve. Little Waves has partnered with Mayan Harvest for six years, prioritizing fair pricing that sustains these families through a single annual harvest.

Black Condor comes from Gaitania, Tolima, in Colombia's coffee region, grown at 1,650–1,950 MASL across 30–45 independent producers united by Emmanuel Enciso's cooperative processing center. The washed process preserves clarity and brightness, revealing a sweet cup with distinct caramel, grapefruit pulp, and peach ring notes. What sets this coffee apart is its remarkable versatility—roast it with slightly more development and it shifts toward plum and deeper stone fruit. Forest Coffee pays 30% above market rates to ensure both quality and sustainability across the project.

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From Hluhluwe on South Africa's Elephant Coast, this Coffea racemosa grows at just 120m elevation in hot, dry conditions that favor its natural pest and disease resistance. The natural process emphasizes its distinctive flavor profile: lingonberry, cinnamon, toasted pistachio, and eucalyptus notes that set it apart from conventional Arabicas. Racemosa is one of the world's rarest coffees—only 11,000 trees exist commercially—with tiny beans and low yields that make harvest and processing extraordinarily difficult, especially during South Africa's wet summer. The species ripens in just 8–12 weeks and contains only 0.75g caffeine per 100g, making this a genuinely unique, climate-adapted alternative to mainstream coffee.

From Tolima, Colombia, at 1,450 meters, this decaf comes from the Bayter family's El Vergel Estate, where Martha and her sons blend traditional methods with modern fermentation to develop fruity complexity. The caffeine removal uses sugarcane ethyl acetate extraction in circular containers—immersing the beans repeatedly until reaching 0.1% caffeine content, preserving the cup's integrity. Expect stonefruit and molasses with a nutty aftertaste, brewed as a full-bodied filter or espresso. A decade-long flagship proves the Bayters' commitment to quality decaf that doesn't compromise on taste.

Worka Chelbessa hails from Gedeb in southern Gedeo, Ethiopia's highest-altitude coffee zone (1,900–2,200 masl), where producer Neguesse Debela's washing station crafts washed coffees of notable clarity. This lot combines both wet and dry fermentation—coffee submerged 36–48 hours, then pulped and dry-fermented another 36–48 hours before 10–14 days on raised beds—a hybrid approach that deepens complexity. Expect the delicate florality and citric brightness Yirgacheffe is famed for: meyer lemon, bergamot, and refined acidity. A thoughtfully processed coffee that rewards precision brewing.

A carefully balanced blend of 70% Guatemala and 30% Ethiopia—with origins rotating seasonally—that earned Little Waves Coffee recognition as a finalist in Roast Magazine's 2022 Roaster of the Year competition. The blend showcases milk chocolate, apricot, and caramel notes in a clean, medium-bodied cup suited to both espresso and filter brewing. Named after a line from Michael Ondaatje's *The English Patient*, it reflects the roaster's philosophy of presence and attentive engagement with their sourcing partners, making it both a technically sound coffee and a statement of intentional practice.

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Edwin Enrique Noreña's Geisha grows at 1,800 MASL on Finca Campo Hermoso in Armenia, Quindío Department. The black honey process combines carbonic maceration with extended lactic fermentation—cherries ferment 72 hours to produce mossto, then pulped coffee ferments another 72 hours with selected lactic yeast cultures before slow parabolic drying. The result is a velvety cup with rose, hibiscus, watermelon, and lychee, built on Noreña's proven mastery of co-fermentation borrowed from wine and beer production. A competition-grade coffee that makes complex fermented flavors unmistakably clear and approachable.

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From Finca Campo Hermoso in Quindio Department, Colombia, at 1,600 meters, Edwin Enrique Noreña's Bourbon Sidra undergoes Black Honey processing with carbonic maceration and lactic fermentation—techniques borrowed from wine and beer production to deliver precise, repeatable flavor expression. The cup opens with pineapple and floral aromatics, then unfolds into lavender, peach tea, mango nectar, pineapple, lychee, and yakult (the probiotic milk sweetness a direct result of the lactic fermentation). Noreña, a Q-grader and Cup of Excellence judge, has built his reputation on making specialty coffee flavors unmistakably approachable—this competition-series offering proves why.

Grown at 1,600 MASL in Armenia, Quindio Department by third-generation producer Edwin Enrique Noreña, this Sudan Rume undergoes Black Honey processing with carbonic maceration lactic fermentation and co-fermentation with Enigma hops—techniques borrowed from wine and beer production to achieve repeatable, evocative flavor expression. Expect coconut cream aromatics, piña colada and key lime pie on the nose, followed by kiwi and peach candy notes that deepen as the cup cools, revealing new layers with each sip. Noreña's meticulous fermentation mastery ensures flavors aren't just present but unmistakably detectable, making this competition-caliber coffee equally rewarding for daily drinking.

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A curated box set of three coffees from Edwin Enrique Noreña's Finca Campo Hermoso in Quindío Department, Colombia, grown at 1,600–1,800 MASL. Each lot undergoes black honey processing with carbonic maceration and lactic fermentation, a technique that defines Noreña's style. The trio highlights three distinct varieties—Geisha, Sudan Rume, and Bourbon Sidra—each expressing its own character while maintaining sweetness, aromatics, complexity, and delicate nectarous body. These are competition-selected coffees that reward careful brewing; pour over at 1:14 ratio or espresso at 1:2.1.

From the Ngoma Sector of Nyaruguru District in Rwanda's Southern Province, this Red Bourbon grows at 1,700–2,000 meters elevation and is produced by the Ikizere Women collective—115 widowed women and single mothers organized by Baho Coffee founder Emmanuel Rusatira. Washed processing highlights bright acidity and floral complexity. The cup delivers peach, clover honey, pineapple cookie, and clove—a sophisticated profile that rewards light-medium roasting. Beyond the cup, this lot represents genuine equity: farmers receive 50% above national farmgate prices and annual health insurance, while the women sorted and depulped cherry together to build community and lasting friendships.

From Hacienda La Esmeralda's Cañas Verde farm in Chiriquí, Panama, at 1,700+ meters elevation—the iconic estate that introduced Geisha to the world in 2004. Washed and fermented for 96 hours in a cool room before 8 days of raised-bed drying, this processing preserves the variety's signature elegance. Expect coffee blossoms, jasmine, lemon tea, honey, peach, and golden apple—a bright, floral profile with soft citric complexity. This is a microlot from HLE's Especial Series (outside their auction releases), roasted fresh on Fridays only.

Jaguar is a carefully proportioned blend: 50% natural-processed Mexico provides juicy body with caramel, toffee, and chocolate notes; 30% washed Colombia and 20% washed Ethiopia add brightness and complexity. The natural component delivers a lush mouthfeel with cinnamon spice and fruity vibrancy, while the washed coffees contribute acidity and clarity. Roasted to taste like the sun, this is a versatile blend that shines across brewing methods—espresso, pour over, or batch brew.

From the Waghi Valley in Jiwaka Province, Papua New Guinea, this peaberry lot grows at 1,530–1,830 MASL on volcanic soils enriched by the Wara Tuman River. Fully washed at the Kindeng wet mill, it develops a clean, fruit-forward profile: caramel, green apple, pear, cinnamon, and honey. Pour-overs at 1:16.6 ratio unlock brightness and acidity; espresso at 1:2–1:2.1 balances tartness against sugar-browning depth. Beyond the cup, sourcing through Benchmark Coffee Traders supports direct investment in producer communities, including menstrual health programs and vision care initiatives across PNG's highlands.

From the Bella Vista community in Chiapas, Mexico, near the Guatemalan border at 1,500–1,800 meters elevation, this coffee represents six years of direct relationship-building between Little Waves and local producers. The processing method contributes to a distinctive profile of sweet cinnamon, fudge, and creamy, full body. Skilled processing and meticulous attention to detail at altitude produce a coffee that's versatile across espresso, French press, and batch brew—a testament to both the terroir and the community's commitment to quality despite logistical and safety challenges.

María Deya Camacho's Pink Bourbon from Finca El Divino Niño in Acevedo, Huila, sits at 1,400 masl and represents her commitment to quality—she placed second in Colombia's Cup of Excellence in 2011. The meticulous honey process begins with a 48-hour anaerobic pre-fermentation in sealed bags, followed by careful depulping that retains partial mucilage, another 48-hour sealed fermentation, a light rinse, and 12–13 days of controlled drying. The result is a bright, complex cup with green apple, blood orange, and raspberry candy notes. This was the #1 ranked lot at the Condor Huila Graduation Auction, where Little Waves paid $20 per pound green directly to the producer—a direct investment in a woman-led operation pushing boundaries in Colombian specialty coffee.

Mauricio Shattah's Maragogype from Finca La Negrita in Tolima, Colombia (1,900–2,100 MASL) undergoes an 18-hour nuruk anaerobic fermentation—using a traditional Korean grain starter—followed by nitrogen flushing to eliminate excess CO₂ and prevent harsh sourness. The cherries ferment in climate-controlled darkness at 17°C, then dry for 6–8 weeks under infrared-only light. The result is a vivid, layered cup with maraschino cherry, grape gummy bears, kiwi, pineapple turnover cake, and rum notes—remarkably clear and balanced despite its experimental processing. This competition-series lot showcases how precise fermentation control and a large-bean variety unlock aromatic complexity and sweetness without the typical funkiness of aggressive anaerobes.

This blend draws inspiration from the historic Mokha Java coffee pairing, combining 50% Colombia with 50% Ethiopia—though component origins shift seasonally to maintain freshness and authenticity to the original concept. The roaster hasn't specified processing details, but the result is a full, creamy-bodied coffee with notes of peaches and cream, lemon meringue, and white chocolate. It's versatile enough for black coffee or milk-based brewing, making it a reliable everyday blend.

From the Condor Huila Project—a women-led initiative in Colombia's Huila region—this washed coffee grows at 1,500–1,900 meters elevation. The washed process brings clarity to the cup: layered notes of milk chocolate, citrus, and melon frame the primary profile of plum, blackberry, and praline with angel food cake sweetness. Little Waves selected this as both a comforting daily drinker and blend foundation, sourced directly from smallholder women producers to support visibility and market access in an industry traditionally dominated by men.

Ntwari II comes from Kayanza Province, Burundi, grown at 1,683 MASL by a courageous widow farmer who built her coffee business in a male-dominated industry. The natural process preserves the coffee's bright fruit character—yellow apple, fig, and dried pineapple—while the Bourbon variety adds complexity. This light roast celebrates both exceptional cup quality and the farmer's vision: as her business grows, she mentors young women, creating pathways for the next generation. Sourced through JNP Coffee founder Jeanine Niyonzima-Aroian, a champion of gender diversity in Burundi's coffee community, this coffee delivers on taste and purpose.

From San Pedro la Laguna on the southern shore of Lake Atitlán, Guatemala, this naturally processed coffee grows at 1,700–1,800 MASL across multiple producer communities within the AProCafé Atitlán growers association. The natural process contributes the coffee's distinctly juicy, fruit-forward character—mixed berries, dried pineapple, green grape, and caramel dominate the cup. A blend of Caturra, Bourbon, Typica, and Catuaí varieties, this selection honors Pedro Isaías González, a co-chair of AProCafé, and represents the skill and dedication required to move coffee from remote Guatemalan highlands to your cup.

Positive Pressure is a rotating three-origin blend (40% Papua New Guinea, 30% Colombia, 30% Ethiopia) that shifts seasonally to capture the best each region offers. The blend is built for a full, creamy body with distinct flavor layers: Nutella-like richness, Madagascar vanilla sweetness, and bright cherry undertones. Versatile across espresso and filter methods, this is a well-rounded daily drinker that prioritizes balance and approachability without sacrificing character.

Royal 7 is Little Waves Coffee's inaugural dark roast, a blend of American coffees developed to highlight dark chocolate, molasses, and nutty characteristics with a full mouthfeel. Named in honor of the seven young activists who led the first sit-in at Durham's Royal Ice Cream Parlor in 1960, this coffee connects to a pivotal moment in the civil rights movement. Each bag supports Feed Durham, a mutual aid collective nourishing the local Black community through grassroots food programs. It's a coffee that delivers classic dark roast comfort while funding meaningful community work.

Grown at 1,250 meters in Araponga, Matas de Minas, this Catiguá MG2 comes from Sítio Pico do Boné, a 15-hectare family farm with deep roots in specialty coffee. The natural process—cherries sealed for nine-day fermentation, then slowly dried on a cement patio under canvas—builds a juicy, vibrant cup. Expect fig, dried blueberry, cosmic apple, honey-glazed hazelnut, and brownie mix notes. This coffee represents four generations of the Aparecida Martins family, now led by Cristiene (an agricultural scientist) and her sister Kátia, who are elevating their farm's quality and supporting neighboring producers.

From Sítio Pico do Boné in Araponga, Matas de Minas, this coffee grows at 1,250m on a lush 15-hectare farm steward by Junior and Edlaine Martins. The cherries were handpicked and dried by hand on concrete patios, allowing natural fermentation to develop the coffee's character without additives. In the cup: hazelnut and milk chocolate anchor the profile, with bright, juicy notes of loquat, canned pear, and Honeycrisp apple. This lot carries the four-generation legacy of the Aparecida family, from sharecropping to specialty coffee production—a coffee that tastes of care.

St. Al's pairs equal parts Peruvian and Colombian coffees to build a full-bodied, low-acid profile ideal for cold brewing. The blend's chocolate-forward character and rich mouthfeel shine when steeped slowly—Little Waves recommends a Toddy Brewer to unlock its depth. This is whole bean coffee designed for at-home cold brewing, not a ready-made concentrate. Note that component origins rotate seasonally, so flavor nuances may shift.

José Julián Giraldo's Río Dulce Geisha grows at 2,050 MASL on Finca Las Marias in Pijao, Quindío, on Colombia's Eastern Andes. The washed process is unusually controlled: hand-picked ripe cherry ferments in a refrigerated room, then pulps and rests again before a multi-tier drying protocol that moves the coffee from sun-exposed beds to shade, followed by hermetically sealed fermentation and final slow drying to 10.5% moisture. The result is delicate and bright—candied lemon, papaya, dried mango, white florals, and tea-like clarity. This is the culmination of José's decade-long Geisha selection work and his studied approach to pH, temperature, and cherry ripeness, making it a standout expression of varietal and process precision.

Ternura is a seasonal Colombian blend designed to evoke comfort and nostalgia. The composition shifts with the harvest, but always centers on Colombian coffee's natural sweetness. Notes of strawberry jam, waffle cone, and chocolate cake create a full-bodied, syrupy cup that shines with milk. This is coffee built for indulgence—perfect for espresso or filter brewing.

Tierra de Mi Padre celebrates two women's producer groups in El Malinal, Cofradia de Chocolon, Nayarit, Mexico, grown at 900 meters elevation. The natural process brings out vibrant pear, raspberry, and green grape alongside hazelnut—bright and complex. A multi-varietal blend (Typica, Sarchimor, Mundo Novo, Bourbon, Catuai, Caturra, Costa Rica) that rewards clarity in pourovers or acidity-forward espresso pulls. This lot represents the direct impact of roaster-producer relationships: the second group organized specifically after seeing the first women's lot succeed in specialty markets.