Friedhats Coffee Roasters

If you like the natural way of things, but also like to get enough sleep so you can wake up the next morning, this coffee is for you. It’s not decaf, so you don’t need to worry about your image. But it is less of a wake up call than our other coffees. You drink enough of them though, they will still get you f*cked up.  The coffee is from Daterra farms in Brazil and grown between 1149 and 1150masl. It is a blend of the Laurina variety and Aramosa varietal, which is a crossbreed between Arabica and the lesser known Racemosa. Both are naturally low in caffeine: between 0.3% and 0.75% (unroasted) compared to 1.2% to 1.6% for Arabica and 2.2% for Robusta. This lot is a natural, aerobic maceration process, although in the cup it is clean and bright and a little floral with notes of toasted hazelnut and milk chocolate. When selecting the Subscription Option: This option is currently only available in the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg and Germany.

When I hear “semi-washed” it conjures up imagery of people in public bathrooms barely splashing their hands in the sink, even though there’s just no excuse for not knowing proper hand washing technique since Covid. Fortunately for all of us, this coffee has absolutely nothing to do with that, and I’m wondering why I’ve left that in the copy.

Infused coffees are polarizing, and understandably so. What caught our attention with this particular one was that it exists at the intersection of an interesting & tasty cup, and full transparency about how we ended up with this cup. Oftentimes with these experimental coffees you’re lucky to get one or the other, so when we tasted a coffee that had both we decided “what the hell”. So here’s the rundown of how this coffee is made:

We all need clouds from time to time. Without clouds there would be no rain, and also no water to brew coffee. Disaster.  Without clouds there would be sun everyday, and “Gesha Sunburn” just doesn’t have the same ring to it.  Without clouds everyday would be a good day, but sometimes you just need a bit of disappointment to appreciate victory.  Gesha Clouds also needs clouds. The clouds give the coffee trees a break from the sun so they can store sugars. They also give the trees the right levels of humidity and much needed rain from time to time.  Without clouds, the “Gesha Clouds” would just be called “Colombia Gesha” and it would be harder to recognise it. And it deserves to be recognised.

Jairo Arcila is a prolific coffee producer, having started at a mill in the 70s before buying his first farm in 1987. With a handful of farms himself, two sons operating Cofinet, and his wife running a farm of her own, it’s become more of a dynasty at this point. Over the course of nearly 40 years of producing his own coffee the proof is in the proverbial pudding.  For this lot after picking and sorting, the remaining cherries undergo an open-air fermentation for 45 hours before drying on raised beds for 8-12 days. The final cup is funky and bursting with tropical fruits and also some more funk.

In 2017 while I was playing with fidget spinners and going on about Jordan Peele’s “Get Out,” the folks at CGLE were planting the final iteration of their fantastic Gesha x Caturra hybrid: CGLE-17. Have some of this coffee then let us know who used their time better. I’ll let you know, I’m pretty emotionally fragile at the moment so I’m not really open to criticism or “constructive feedback.”

They say variety is the spice of life, and for us that variety is Sudan Rume. But we’re offering some variety within that variety- now in addition to the Sudan Rume natural that we love so dearly, we’re also showcasing its washed counterpart. A slightly cleaner and more nuanced offering, it’s the same coffee just in a different font.

Some things in life are just classy. A pocket watch. Mahogany. Chanel No. 5. Having a second family in a different city as a pilot in the 1970s. A pearl necklace.  To this definitive list I would add washed gesha. There’s hardly a thing in life so refined as a washed gesha- it’s not trying to be anything that it isn’t, it is just excellence embodied. Floral, elegant, and distinguished, it’s always a pleasure to come across a nice washed gesha on a cupping table, and even more splendid to wake up on a Saturday morning and brew yourself a cup. So channel your inner Mr Peanut, put on your tophat and monocle, and enjoy one of life’s little luxuries with Robinson Ortiz’s excellent gesha.

Our absolutely epic run of lots from Sebastian Gomez is coming to an end; starting with the caturra, then the natural gesha, then the EF2 gesha, and finally this EF2 gesha competition lot. This lot was set aside, a noticeable notch above the rest, and saved to end the releases from this harvest. The Sebastian Gomez EF2 has seemingly become a perennial feature of the Friedhats menu, so what exactly is EF2? Let’s get into it a bit.  EF2 is an umbrella term that our friends at Cofinet use to classify coffees that undergo an extensive form of fermentation. In this instance, Sebastian begins with the cherries fermenting openly for 24 hours before moving into sealed grainpro bags for 50 hours, kept below 22 degrees for the duration of the fermentation, before being dried on raised beds. This processing helps deliver the signature cane sugar sweetness and syrupy body of this Gesha that we have come to adore.  In this lot you will immediately notice an even more explosive complexity bursting with grape juice and macerated mango.

Wilton’s farm (Granja Paraíso 92) shares a name with another farm that is famous for their experiments: El Paraíso. I guess they share more than a name, because just like the coffees from El Paraíso, this coffee too tastes like a lot more than just coffee. And what better way to cover up any unpleasant flavors from the decaf process (: Expect a very perfumy coffee, think of lavender, very herbal and botanical. Notes of lemon thyme, stone fruits and a bit like drinking a cactus juice. When selecting the Subscription Option: This option is currently only available in the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg and Germany

In the discourse of coffee there are often less-sexy details that don’t get the shine that fancy processing, exciting new varieties, or experimental farmers tend to. One of these is the difficulties of standardizing and protecting labor surrounding harvesting.  Harvesting coffee is a laborious process; the diligent work of picking through thousands and thousands of cherries to pick at their ripest, from tree to tree until you’ve finished a long day of work. The timing of your hire is dependent on the readiness of a farmer to initiate harvest. The instability of this work creates an environment in which formal hire and employment is a gargantuan task. Because of this there is a cyclical element of disincentivizing reliable labor and professional expertise, and it only makes sense without well coordinated organization.

You can’t rely on much. How does the old adage go? Death, taxes, and the deliciousness of Ethiopian coffees?  At the end of the day, there’s still nothing quite like the taste of a good Ethiopian coffee, no matter how it’s processed. We’re slurping exotic geshas from Panama where we write down “tastes like Ethiopia” with a smile on our face.

Do you know what Blue Monday is? It’s like Easter or Thanksgiving- one of these days that shifts a bit each year and is built largely on mythology, but contains a kernel of truth. We just passed it for this year, but the blues are still with me. That’s why I’m making a conscious effort to find joy in the little things. And this coffee is one of those little things that makes me happy. It reminds me that the long days of sunshine are just around the corner, just a short 3-4 months away.

Sitting down to write about new Ethiopian coffees can be a bit tricky, as it can be difficult to hone in on a particular thing about the coffee to deep dive on. Typically there are hundreds or more smallholders contributing to lots at a washing station- so many people in relatively small quantities that it’s a nigh impossible task for the washing station to track and share in any meaningful way. There are so many naturally cultivated varietals that get a catchall term of “heirloom” or “landrace” that it’s not necessarily interesting or plausible to parse through that either. So then it all comes down to taste, and that’s the whole point of all this anyways- finding and enjoying something that you love. At the end of the day we love the way this coffee tastes, so we’re roasting it to have at the cafe and to share with you. We hope you like it as much as we do.

We should be making life easier for ourselves - not harder. A lot of you have asked if you could buy the Friedhats Blend somewhere and we said “no, sorry” But why? Well, we are not sure really. So after much ado for no real reason at all here it is! 50% Brazil, 50% Ethiopia for always and ever more. Blended. No cheap fillers, no old crop, just coffees that taste good together.  Only available for Espresso in a 1kg bag for that authentic Horeca experience! When selecting the Subscription Option: This option is currently only available in the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg and Germany.

Frinsa Estate always delivers dynamic and interesting coffees that we love getting to drink year after year. This expression of Ateng Super is fermented with added Lactobacillus for 2-3 days before drying, delivering an expressive and funky cup. The only downside to this coffee is that there wasn’t a lot of it, so it will only be around for a short while!

Nature’s first green is gold, Her hardest hue to hold. Her early leaf’s a flower; But only so an hour. Then leaf subsides to leaf. So Eden sank to grief, So dawn goes down to day. Nothing gold can stay. Big ups to our boy Bobby Frost, capturing our feelings on the last Kenya of the year. RIP Bobby, RIP Kenya 2025 harvest. See ya next year.

If you want an amazing rundown of this coffee, we recommend watching Boris’s Brewer’s Cup run he just did using this coffee- we’re so proud of our guy.  If you want random fun facts about this coffee, you’re in the right place.  Pope Francis was apparently an Altieri guy. They’re super proud of it and have a framed photo that Siebe saw, and is also their pinned image on instagram.  Siebe took the double-rainbow that appeared over the farm while they cupped as a sign. Tasting this coffee, I’ve got to agree with him.  Apparently they make very delicious ice cream.

In the world of specialty coffee Panama Gesha stands alone atop the mountain, reigning supreme over all other coffees, looking down on them. It’s hard to distill what sets them apart, beyond reputation and legend. Auromar is up there with the best of the best, and we’re thrilled that this year we’ve managed to get all of their washed gesha to ourselves.

We sent Siebe over to Panama last year to get some early tastes of coffees and to get some insight as to what’s going on. Did you know the Hartmann folk have built their own bug & snake museum? It’s not really super relevant to this coffee, but it was super interesting- we’ll attach some pics he took. They’re also big sausage dog people. Again, not relevant.

Wow, just like that- our last Rwanda of the year. There’s something nice about having these natural breaks to reflect on what’s come and gone, and to look toward the future.  You know, I used to be really bad with endings- specifically, really bad at finishing things. I would start a book and love it, become absolutely engrossed in it, then stop reading it during the last chapter because I didn’t want it to end. Working with coffee in this capacity, having things you really love constantly coming and going, urging you to appreciate what is, what was, and what will be has been really good for my acceptance that part of what makes things great is that they aren’t forever.

The first flowers in spring, the first swim of summer, the first falling leaves in autumn, and the first funky Rwanda of winter. Not all firsts are great, but these ones certainly are.  The cyclical nature of life is beautiful, and full of reason. Winter is bleak, isolating, and depressing- and that’s why it’s so important to take care of yourself. Quality time with friends, exercise, honesty about your feelings, and most importantly- drinking this coffee. It works for me at least. A thoroughly funky Rwanda that’s fruity and sweet helps keep my SAD at bay, at least for a little while. It is, unfortunately, not a substitute for therapy (according to my therapist at least, but she’s just out to get my money).

Gashuru gets the name “Rugori” comes from “Urugori,” the name of a crown women are given in Rwanda after giving birth to their first child as a symbol for respect and recognition. Rugori is processed entirely by women, and is the crown jewel of their washed coffee- bright, sweet, and complex. To put it simply, this coffee is to killer.