Friedhats' Sampler Box

Published by Tanya in Coffee Reviews · 27 March 2021
Tags: Friedhats, Reviews, Gesha, Java, SudanRume, Colombia, Brazil, Panama

8 March 2021 is not only the International Women’s Day, but also the date that Friedhats choose as the roasting day for their “Sampler Box” Vol. 2.

They were talking about it online in the weeks before, and reading about these amazing coffees I told Endri “Come on! We actually never tried a Gesha from Panama before… why don’t we do it?” Yep, you got it right.

Never tried a Panama Gesha before.

I know, it’s bad.

Plus, the other coffees seemed equally amazing so we decided to empty (even more) our wallets and buy the Sampler Box.

Let’s jump forward in time, about a week, when we finally receive the order. Three “regular” coffees (Indonesia, Kenya and Rwanda) and the “Super Special Sampler Box”, that’s simply so cool.

I mean take a look at the box itself: the big sparkling sticker with a cool dude (or a cool monkey? Difficult to say!), the five tiny plastic bottles (so similar to pill bottles), the small stickers inside, and all that yellow torn paper as a bed to let the bottles rest…

I mean it, it’s just so damn’ cool.

And then it’s time for the tasting.

From each bottle, a coffee each and one to share, simple as that.

In less than three days it’s all over, but guys, what a ride!

The five coffees were all amazing, with different flavors, different complexity and different bodies. It was hard deciding what was best, and this is our ranking, and it’s totally personal because all of them were awesome… it has all to do with what flavors, and which kind of body, and so on… we love in coffee. That’s it.

But let’s proceed.

#5 Colombia Las Margaritas Java Natural

Java is a variety that is growing towards superstar status. Originally taken from Ethiopia by the Dutch, planted in Indonesia, and named after the Island, it was first introduced in Central America around 2016. It's somewhat similar to the Gesha variety and also performs well at higher altitudes. And the taste is insane… In a good way! It's like drinking very sweet rum, except you're not getting drunk, you can still drive and your friends' jokes are still not really that funny. It comes with notes of rum raisin, cane sugar and dried fruits, and its body is really thick. The only reason why this is in the last position is that it was really too “rummy”… and we’re more into whiskey! Jokes aside, this was Endri #4 and my #5, but I’m writing the blog, so… #5 it is.

#4 Brazil Daterra Masterpieces Gesha D17 Anaerobic

Daterra is a pretty well-known farm, and usually their coffees are mild, smooth and sweet, but not really crazy. A couple of years ago they started making "Masterpieces” as they call it. Small lots, hand-picked (unusual for Brazil) and with experimental varieties and processing methods. This turned out pretty well. They even managed to win the World Brewers Cup in 2018. Every year they auction a range of masterpieces, and with a bit of luck the guys at Friedhats managed to secure a box of their favourite lot #D17, Anaerobic fermented Gesha from Brazil. This is really amazing for a coffee coming from Brazil, it still has the classical nutty notes, but here they’re together with some tropical fruits and a floral finish. It was Endri’s #5 and my #4, but again… I’m the one writing J

#3 Colombia Las Margaritas Sudan Rume Natural

Another year of Sudan Rume from Café Granja La Esperanza! This has been Lex's absolute favorite coffee since he first tasted it in 2015. "I remember this moment really well. I was cupping some coffee's for competition, and this coffee was just astonishing." he says, "The name of the farm was Las Margaritas and I had heard about them because they were experimenting with many different varieties on a single farm, which was super interesting because it allowed us to taste the influence

that variety had on the flavor of coffee. One of those varieties stood out. Sudan Rume." Five years later, the guys at Friedhats are still blown away by the extreme bright floral and herbal notes of the super clean natural coffee. Its notes are the ones you can find on a tropical cocktail, with hints of mint and a pleasant syrupy feeling in the mouth.

#2 Colombia Paraiso Experimental

Finca El Paraiso has got a name for producing some interesting coffees. It is located in Piendamò in the famous Cauca valley and run by Diego Bermudez and his family. This coffee is a Gesha variety, that is a good start for a flavorsome coffee, but this coffee is next level in flavor. They create this flavor with a two phase fermentation and "thermal shock" process. This is their process: First the coffee is washed with 'ozonized' water to reduce microbial load, then it is fermented aerobically for 60 hours at a temperature of 18 degrees. Next, it is de-pulped and then the second phase of fermentation begins - this time - anaerobic for 36 hours at 18 degrees. It is then washed, using thermal shock in order to "transfer and fix the secondary aromas developed in the fermentation phases of the culture medium". It is first washed at 35° C and then at 12° C. It is dried for 29 hours with a recirculating air of 35°C and a relative humidity of 25% until the bean comes down to between 10% and 11% humidity. It is bagged and stabilized for 15 days. All of that, makes this flavor and that is astonishing in many ways. It’s like drink a peach tea, the one I used to have when I was a kid. It’s really, really awesome.

#1 Panama Black Sheep Rocky Mountain Gesha Natural

This is the first coffee from Panama ever, for the guys at Friedhats (yep, not only for us!) It's not that they don't like Panama or anything. Lex even visited Panama early in his coffee-career. But for some reason Friedhats never had it. So here it is: their first Panamanian Coffee ever. And as you might know, Panama has everything in place to produce really good coffee. Beautiful farms, ideal climate, skilled farmers and lots of money. Plus, they have all the best varieties. Gesha was even rediscovered in Panama. All of this doesn't come cheap, but you know, you only live once. This coffee is from the Rocky Mountain farm owned by the famous Hartman family. The variety is Gesha which gives it heaps of florals and tropical fruit. The process is Natural with a bit of extended fermentation which contributes to the intensity of the fruit flavors. And yes, it was astonishing. The tropical fruits notes, like passion fruit, was so intense it fill your own mouth… and it smelled and tasted floral, and orangy… as I said, astonishing.

And that’s basically it.

It was a hell of a ride… and in a way, I can say that this is why we’re so much in love with specialty coffee.

Amazing flavors so different you can hardly imagine they come from a simple coffee bean, and that one bean so similar to the first one can have notes so different.

We had peach tea, rum, passion fruit, nutty, tropical mint cocktail, and much more.

Obviously is not affordable to drink this kinds of coffees daily, at least not for us, but it’s a really nice way to treat yourself nice once in a while, to let yourself (and your loved ones) know how special you are.

To the guys at Friedhats we can only say: thanks so much, it was really worth it.