Selecting our coffee beans : a long process
We have been testing many different types of coffee during the first months of our project, helping us improve our coffee knowledge and define more clearly the type of coffee taste, body and aromas we wanted for our nootropic coffee.
While the roasting process was a key part in developing the coffee flavours, it was essential to source great quality green coffee in the first place.
“Even the best barista won’t brew a good coffee with low quality coffee beans”
After tasting coffee from different countries such as Kenya, Costa Rica, or Brazil, we had to limit our choice due to our mandatory condition of purchasing coffee that was both certified with organic agriculture and fair trade labels. We were surprised that the offer was more limited than we thought unless we’d go to small producers, which couldn’t ensure a consistent coffee throughout the year.
The green beans we finally selected for our nootropic coffee come from the region of Tolima and Huila in Colombia, and are produced by the “Oquidea” cooperative, regrouping over 80 local farmers, and certified organic agriculture and fair trade.
Upraising Coffee details
| Country of Origin | Colombia |
| Type | Arabica |
| Regions | Tolima, Huila |
| Producer | Cooperativa Orquidea |
| Denominación comercial | Colombia Excelso EP |
| Cup Characteristics | Well rounded, good overall acidity, light to medium body |
| Certifications |
Fair Trade, Organic Agriculture* (US and EU) |
*The certification process is done by the certifying company Mayacert
- "Excelso" : term for exportable coffee from Colombia, sorted by size, but is not related to variety.
- EP “European Preparation” : means the green beans are all hand sorted to remove any defective beans and foreign material.
Learn more about Colombia’s coffee
Colombia - well known for the high quality of its coffee - is the second-largest producer in the world after Brazil, and exports most of its production. Columbia only produces washed Arabica coffee, which is a process where the beans are dried without the cherry.
There are three primary varieties grown in Colombia (Caturra, Typica, Bourbon) and the coffee is referred to by the region in which it is grown (in our case Tolima, Huila).
