Green Coffees Used
This page records the green coffees used throughout Coffee | One Roast at a Time.
It is not a buying guide or a list of recommendations.
It exists to provide factual context for roast notes, experiments, and observations documented elsewhere on the site.
Green Coffee Index
| Coffee | Origin | Variety | Process | Supplier |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Guatemala – La Soledad | Huehuetenango, GT | Bourbon | Washed | 88 Graines |
| Guatemala – Acatenango Volcanic Blend | Acatenango, GT | Caturra | Washed | 88 Graines |
| Brazil – Topazio | Fazenda Cerrado Grande, BR | Topazio | Natural | 88 Graines |
| Brazil – Yellow Bourbon | Fazenda Cerrado Grande, BR | Yellow Bourbon | Natural | 88 Graines |
| Brazil – Santos | Santos, BR | Arabica | Natural | Discount Coffee |
| Ethiopia – Guji / Kurume | Guji, ET | Heirloom | Natural, GR.1 | 88 Graines |
| Honduras – El Puente (Natural) | El Puente, HN | Catuai | Natural | 88 Graines |
| Honduras – El Puente (Washed) | El Puente, HN | Catuai | Washed | 88 Graines |
| Honduras – Las Flores | Las Flores, HN | Bourbon | Honey | 88 Graines |
| Honduras – Los Primos | Los Primos, HN | Pacas | Washed | 88 Graines |
| Honduras | Honduras | Arabica | — | Discount Coffee |
| Colombia – Santa Barbara / Castillo | Santa Barbara, CO | Castillo | Honey | 88 Graines |
| Colombia – Santa Barbara / Pink Bourbon | Santa Barbara, CO | Pink Bourbon | Washed | 88 Graines |
| Colombia – Santa Barbara / Striped Red Bourbon | Santa Barbara, CO | Striped Red Bourbon | Washed | 88 Graines |
| Colombia – Supremo | Colombia | Arabica | — | Discount Coffee |
| Colombia – SWP Decaf | Various, CO | Castillo / Caturra / Colombia | Washed, Swiss Water Decaf | Redber Coffee |
| Colombia – Regional (Huila) | Huila, CO | Cenicafé / Caturra / Castillo / Colombia / Pink Bourbon | Washed | Arcadia |
| Costa Rica – Finca Tonita | Costa Rica | Caturra | Red Honey | 88 Graines |
| Kenya AA | Kenya | Arabica | Natural | Discount Coffee |
| Nicaragua | Nicaragua | Arabica | — | Discount Coffee |
| Sumatra Mandheling | Sumatra, ID | Typica / Catimor | Wet Hulled | Discount Coffee |
| India – Robusta | India | Robusta | Natural | 88 Graines |
| India – SLN 9 | India | SLN 9 | Washed | 88 Graines |
(Details reflect what was known at the time of purchase. Supplier notes where relevant.)
Coffee Details & Context
Guatemala – Finca La Soledad
Producer: Pérez Family
Variety: Bourbon
Process: Washed
Altitude: ~1650 m
Supplier: 88 Graines
Context:
This coffee formed the initial reference baseline for the Gene Café CBR-301. It was roasted repeatedly across different batch sizes and development strategies to establish confidence in system behaviour, first crack timing, airflow effects, and post-crack energy management.
Guatemala – Acatenango Volcanic Blend
Variety: Caturra
Process: Washed
Region: Acatenango Blend
Supplier: 88 Graines
Context:
A multi-farm blend from the Acatenango volcanic region. Washed process, natural mutation of Bourbon. Used as a contrast to the La Soledad single farm.
Brazil – Topazio
Variety: Topazio
Process: Natural
Farm: Fazenda Cerrado Grande
Supplier: 88 Graines
Context:
This coffee introduced significant ambiguity around first crack audibility. It became a key reference for learning to rely on weight loss, colour, aroma, and total roast time rather than sound alone.
Brazil – Yellow Bourbon
Variety: Yellow Bourbon
Process: Natural
Farm: Fazenda Cerrado Grande
Supplier: 88 Graines
Context:
Roasted using time and weight-loss guardrails rather than audible crack confirmation. Helped reinforce that quiet naturals can still produce clean, drinkable results when development is controlled.
Brazil – Santos
Variety: Arabica
Process: Natural
Altitude: 900–1100 m
Supplier: Discount Coffee
Context:
A practical, accessible green bean used for volume roasting and process experimentation. Santos is a port-of-origin designation rather than a farm name — consistent and predictable, useful as a workhorse bean.
Ethiopia – Guji / Kurume
Variety: Heirloom
Process: Natural, Grade 1
Farm: Ayele Adola, Guji Zone — Kurume Kebele
Supplier: 88 Graines
Context:
First Ethiopian natural used in the project. Provided contrast against Brazilian naturals, particularly in crack audibility, aroma development, and perceived roast progression under the same system constraints.
Honduras – El Puente (Natural & Washed)
Producers: Marysabel Caballero & Moises Herrera
Variety: Catuai
Process: Natural and Washed (purchased as separate lots)
Supplier: 88 Graines
Context:
Used as a development-contrast experiment between process types from the same farm. Clear, audible first crack on the natural made it useful for isolating post-crack timing decisions. The washed lot provided a direct comparison under identical roast conditions.
Honduras – Las Flores (Bourbon / Honey)
Producer: Roberto Sabillon
Variety: Bourbon
Process: Honey
Altitude: 1550 m
Supplier: 88 Graines
Honduras – Los Primos (Pacas / Washed)
Producer: Manuel Vallecillo
Variety: Pacas
Process: Washed
Supplier: 88 Graines
Honduras (Discount Coffee)
Variety: Arabica
Supplier: Discount Coffee
Context:
Unspecified Honduran Arabica used for volume and practice roasts. Less traceability than the 88 Graines lots but useful for repetition and baseline building.
Colombia – Santa Barbara / Area 18
Altitude: 1850 m
Varieties: Castillo (Honey), Pink Bourbon (Washed), Striped Red Bourbon (Washed)
Supplier: 88 Graines
Context:
Three distinct lots from the same high-altitude region, purchased to explore variety and process differences under consistent roast conditions. The Castillo honey, Pink Bourbon washed, and Striped Red Bourbon washed offer a direct comparison framework.
Colombia – Supremo
Variety: Arabica
Supplier: Discount Coffee
Context:
Colombian Supremo is a screen-size grade designation rather than a single origin. Used for volume roasting and process experimentation alongside more traceable lots.
Colombia – SWP Decaf
Varieties: Castillo, Caturra, Colombia
Process: Washed, Swiss Water Decaf
Altitude: Over 1200 m
Supplier: Redber Coffee
Context:
Swiss Water Process decaf from Colombian high-altitude farms. Used to explore decaf roasting behaviour — particularly how development and weight loss signals compare to caffeinated equivalents.
Colombia – Regional Blend (Huila)
Varieties: Cenicafé, Caturra, Castillo, Colombia, Pink Bourbon
Process: Washed
Altitude: 1400–1700 m
Supplier: Arcadia
Costa Rica – Finca Tonita
Variety: Caturra (natural mutation of Bourbon)
Process: Red Honey
Supplier: 88 Graines
Kenya AA
Variety: Arabica
Process: Natural
Altitude: 1400–1800 m
Supplier: Discount Coffee
Context:
AA is a screen-size grade. Noted flavour profile includes blackcurrant, juicy acidity, lime, and butterscotch. Used alongside other African origins to build roast contrast experience.
Nicaragua
Variety: Arabica
Supplier: Discount Coffee
Sumatra Mandheling
Variety: Typica / Catimor
Process: Wet Hulled (Giling Basah)
Supplier: Discount Coffee
Context:
Wet hulling is a process unique to Indonesia that produces lower-moisture, earthy-profile green beans. Roast behaviour differs noticeably from washed or natural lots — included partly to understand how the Gene Café handles atypical green bean characteristics.
India – Robusta
Variety: Robusta
Process: Natural
Supplier: 88 Graines
Context:
The only Robusta in the project so far. Included to explore how Robusta roast behaviour differs from Arabica lots — particularly in terms of first crack character, development timing, and cup profile.
India – SLN 9
Variety: SLN 9 (Sln 9 is a high-yield Arabica/Robusta hybrid developed by the Coffee Board of India)
Process: Washed
Supplier: 88 Graines
(Details reflect what was known at the time of purchase. This page is updated as new coffees enter the project.)