​In Kenya, we look for coffees with intensity, clarity, and balance. We focus primarily on washed lots with double fermentation that represent the classic Kenyan profile: bright citrus, blackcurrant, red fruits, and well-integrated floral notes, always accompanied by a clean sweetness and a vibrant yet harmonious acidity. We want structure and clarity in the cup, coffees that stand out for their intensity without losing elegance, allowing each roaster to express their own coffee identity.

​We prioritize classic varieties like SL-28 and SL-34, renowned for their excellent cup quality. We work with AA, AB, and PB classifications, valued for their bean size and concentration. These varieties are grown at high altitudes in regions near Mount Kenya and in areas like Nyeri and Kirinyaga, where volcanic soils and climate favor complex and defined profiles. Our goal is to select lots scoring 85 points or higher, but above all, coffees with sweetness and cleanliness as a fundamental base.

Once the selections are confirmed and the contracts signed, the pre-shipment samples will be sent after milling and final quality control. You can expect them in the final weeks of March, depending on logistics and export timelines. As always, we will share transparent information about availability, profiles, and estimated arrival dates so you can plan with peace of mind. We expect our new Kenyan cafes to land in Barcelona at the end of April.

Kenya is coming! Stay tuned and caffeinated.

​At Kilimanjaro Specialty Coffees, we rarely speak about our commitment to social responsibility. Not because it is unimportant, but because we believe the quality of our green coffee should always come first. However, once a year, we feel it is appropriate to share how your coffee choices contribute to something beyond coffee itself.

Through our green coffee sales, we allocate 1% of our total turnover to wildlife conservation, with a particular focus on critically endangered species such as elephants, gorillas, and orangutans. This year, our contribution has supported anti-poaching patrols and habitat protection in Aberdare National Park in Kenya, a vital refuge for elephants and other threatened wildlife.

Aberdare is far more than a national park; it is a living ecosystem under constant pressure. The funds we provide help protect migratory corridors, strengthen ranger presence, and preserve essential habitats for the long-term survival of these species. These are practical, on-the-ground initiatives that align with our conviction to create meaningful and measurable impact.

By choosing our coffees, you become part of this effort—without publicity stunts or distinctive bag colors. It is a quiet commitment, shared among professionals who value responsibility as highly as quality.

Thank you for being part of this project and for helping to preserve wildlife through thoughtful, understated action.

Wishing you a happy and well caffeinated 2026!

​The Ethiopian economy has seen progress in recent decades, but it remains highly exposed to volatile international prices for agricultural products and limited infrastructure, which makes access to stable markets difficult. The dependence on coffee makes each harvest vital, and any loss represents a direct blow to the survival of the community, which explains why armed protection becomes part of daily life in areas like Guji, where wealth is not measured in money but in bags of coffee ready to be exported.

​The presence of Kalashnikovs in Africa has deeper roots and is linked to historical dynamics of civil wars, arms trafficking and political legacies of the Cold War. This massive distribution caused robust and relatively cheap weapons to circulate for decades between countries with limited resources, generating a lasting impact on regional security and on the way in which communities organise to defend their assets in the absence of a strong state.

If you are interested in the topic, the documentary "Darwin's Nightmare" offers a powerful look at these dynamics, showing how the arrival of certain industries and the presence of international trade routes can coexist with the constant flow of weapons and social conflicts. Although it is set in Tanzania, it offers keys to understanding why tools of war end up being integrated into fragile local economies and how global imbalances allow violence and poverty to feed each other.

​Unlike other species in the animal kingdom, humans are predominantly visual: around 90% of the information our brain processes is visual. This hinders the development of short- and long-term memory linked to the other four senses. For this reason, developing gustatory memory, for example, requires training, and not everyone has the same capacity to do so, due to differences in sensory receptors. Each person's ability to perceive and register sensory details is unique and is influenced by both physiology and the culture and environment in which we live.

​People with more sensitive receptors can detect and remember more aromas and flavours, while our personal history and cultural context influence how we describe and interpret those sensations. Language, then, becomes the bridge that allows us to share these experiences with others. We associate each sensation we detect with a record in our memory.

Coffee cupping is a perfect example of how sensory memory works. Coffee contains more than 850 volatile compounds, but humans can only perceive about 40. Because of this, tasting notes and sensory experience are not completely transferable from one person to another: they depend, first, on our physiological capacity to perceive and register sensations, and second, on our personal experience, our culture, and our language.

Enjoy your coffee!

​Originally, civets in the wild would eat only the ripest cherries, contributing to a unique fermentation process. However, as demand increased, producers began capturing civets and keeping them in cramped, filthy cages to mass-produce the coffee. These animals, who are meant to roam freely at night, suffer tremendously in captivity. They are often force-fed coffee cherries and denied a proper diet, leading to malnutrition, stress, and disease.

​What makes this cruelty even more outrageous is the false perception that Kopi Luwak offers superior taste. In reality, the quality has declined drastically because caged civets can no longer select the ripest cherries in the wild. Instead, they are fed whatever the farmers provide, often unripe or low-quality cherries. This destroys the very element that once made wild-sourced Kopi Luwak unique, leaving consumers to pay exorbitant prices for a coffee that is far inferior to high-quality, ethically produced beans.

The truth is that Kopi Luwak symbolises the worst kind of luxury—one built on the suffering of voiceless animals for the pleasure of indulgent consumers and the profit of unscrupulous producers. There are numerous ethically sourced, high-quality coffees available that do not involve animal exploitation. We should prefer traditional cultivated coffee from Indonesia. Supporting those alternatives is not just a better culinary choice—it’s a moral imperative.

​With U.S. buyers stepping back, Brazilian exporters will likely turn to alternative destinations—Europe being the most logical next market. This shift could result in greater availability of Brazilian beans at more competitive prices. While this situation presents challenges for some producers, it could translate into significant cost savings for European roasters and buyers. Downward pressure on prices may help offset recent inflationary trends in green coffee supply, enabling roasters to stabilise or even reduce their costs.

​For African coffee-producing countries, however, this shift introduces new complexities. Increased competition from Brazilian beans could shrink the market share of producers in Ethiopia, Uganda, and Kenya, potentially forcing them to lower their prices—even below sustainable production levels. In a context of high inflation across many African nations, this poses a serious threat to small-scale coffee farmers.

As we approach the August 1 deadline, it’s crucial to prepare for a dynamic and rapidly evolving supply environment. The global coffee landscape is shifting daily, and the possibilities are wide-ranging. Staying well-informed and maintaining a flexible, open-minded approach will be essential in navigating what comes next.

Enjoy your coffee! 

​Rather than levelling the playing field, coffee festivals tend to reinforce the industry's most damaging imbalance: those at the top of the supply chain are the protagonists, while those at the bottom are marginalised or completely ignored. We constantly see roasters, baristas, and influencers posting endless selfies, but never the producers themselves. What's missing is not just representation, but respect. Festivals rarely invest in bringing coffee farmers in, offering translation services, or creating spaces for real dialogue about challenges at origin.

​Even the industry's supposed ethics are lost in the noise. "Sustainability," "traceability," and "direct trade" are buzzwords that flood the stands, but few attendees question what they really mean or if they are backed by action. It's easy to talk about values ​​when there's no accountability. We've seen coffee farmers underpaid for award-winning harvests, while importers and leaders tout the virtues of transparency on panels.

We can't continue to celebrate coffee if we ignore the producer. If the coffee industry wants to grow with integrity, its public events must improve. This means giving coffee farmers a voice, compensating them fairly for their time and expertise, and recognising their place not only in the supply chain but also in the cultural narrative of coffee. Until then, these festivals will remain discriminatory gatherings focused on marketing, sales, and social media narcissism, and that's a bitter pill to swallow that doesn't fit with the concept of specialty coffee.

​Many smallholder farmers lack the necessary technological infrastructure and resources to comply with the EU's traceability requirements. In some coffee-producing areas in Ethiopia and Burundi, for example, there is little to no internet access, putting them at risk of exclusion from one of the world's largest markets. Additionally, importers are stockpiling coffee to avoid disruptions, which could drive up prices and overwhelm global supply chains as the regulation approaches full implementation in December 2025.

​A new risk tier system established by the EUDR classifies countries as low, standard, or high risk, which determines the level of scrutiny applied to their exports. The European Commission is responsible for publishing the risk list by June 30, 2025. Preliminary discussions suggest that high-risk countries may include those with significant deforestation issues, such as Brazil, Indonesia, or Nigeria, while countries like Thailand may be classified as low risk due to stable forest cover. This classification will dictate the level of due diligence required: high-risk countries will face scrutiny on 9% of controlled commodities, standard-risk countries 3%, and low-risk countries 1%.

Despite facing criticism, the EU has postponed the implementation of the regulation until December 2025, providing a limited timeframe for preparation. Smallholder farmers must act quickly to avoid potential losses that could negatively impact their jobs and living standards.

We will keep you updated.

​Proponents of the term "Ethiopian Heirloom" claim that it reflects the complex and indigenous nature of Ethiopian coffee varieties. However, this broad term risks oversimplifying a rich genetic landscape. Ethiopia, the birthplace of coffee, is home to between 6,000 and 10,000 distinct varieties, many of which have been studied and catalogued, such as JARC varieties (e.g., 74110, 74112) or regional landraces like Kurume and Dega. Labelling them as "Heirloom" blurs crucial distinctions in flavour, yield, and disease resistance that roasters and farmers need to make informed decisions.

​Roasters that prioritise transparency and traceability to meet consumer demand and upcoming EU regulations will benefit from knowing the exact varieties and their origins. For example, a Yirgacheffe coffee from a specific cooperative using the 74158 variety offers clearer quality and flavour expectations than a generic "Heirloom" label. This precision supports more ethical pricing for coffee farmers and a consistent supply of information for roasters, fostering trust throughout the supply chain.

We propose moving toward accurate varietal identification, although this requires greater documentation and education efforts. Ethiopia's coffee sector is evolving, with research institutions like the Jimma Agricultural Research Centre (JARC) developing improved varieties to improve resilience and quality. This is in addition to tools like genetic fingerprinting and regional varietal mapping, already in use by some exporters. This shift will allow roasters to highlight unique flavour profiles—for example, the delicate floral notes of a Welisho versus the citrus complexity of a Dega—while also honouring Ethiopian coffee's heritage with precision.

Share your thoughts in the comments. ETHIOPIA IS COMING!

​Some interesting topics from this harvest:

Why have we been disappointed again with anaerobic coffees in Ethiopia?

In recent harvests, we have cupped a growing number of experimental Ethiopian coffees. While these efforts are ambitious, we have often found inconsistent results, sometimes overshadowing the character of the origin with overwhelming lactic notes or an excess of quakers. For us, these experimental lots have not lived up to expectations, not to mention the prohibitive prices set by the government.

​Why are we focusing on natural processing this harvest?

This year, we doubled down on naturally processed coffees, reaching 80% of our total selection. Ethiopia continues to produce some of the most expressive and sweet natural coffees in the world, offering vibrant fruit profiles while preserving regional identity. Our partnerships with producers who prioritise careful drying, cherry selection, and consistent quality give us the confidence to offer natural lots that meet the high standards of the world's best roasters.

What can you expect this year?

Roasters can expect a selection of mind-blowing natural coffees and a smaller, more curated selection of washed coffees. The harvest was delayed in some regions, which could slightly impact arrival times, but the quality potential looks solid. We're especially excited about the Guji and Yirgacheffe lots, where we've seen excellent cherry selection and meticulous processing.