Specialty coffee · Worth knowing

This fully washed Ethiopia Suke Quto coffee from Guji Zone presents classic single origin tasting notes of stone fruit, citrus, florals, and caramel—specifically yellow peach and apricot, lime, bergamot, orange blossom, toasted coconut, and caramel syrup. The coffee comes from a model sustainable farm founded in 2000 as a forest conservation project, growing native coffee under existing forest cover rather than monoculture crops, and was recently selected as a 2026 Good Food Awards winner. The light roast washed process coffee uses Kurume and Wolisho varieties from Odo Shakisso in Guji, Oromia.

Ana Maria Donneys from Colombia's Quindío region produces this single origin coffee using an innovative Primitivo 48-hour anaerobic fermentation process combined with oxygenated washing. The Caturra and Castillo varieties, grown at 1300-1700 MASL, develop tasting notes of cranberry, orange, vanilla, and caramel through the controlled fermentation in sealed vats without oxygen, which enhances delicate flavor development. Donneys, a fifth-generation grower and Q-Grader who co-founded the International Women's Coffee Alliance in Colombia, employs this specialty technique to produce a balanced, clean cup with creamy medium body and bright citrus acidity that preserves the coffee's origin character with subtle elegance.

Luciano Repetto of Graffeo Coffee represents a lifetime dedication to specialty coffee craft, having pioneered artisan roasting in America through his early adoption of fluid-bed roasting technology in the 1970s. His approach emphasizes temperature-driven precision and consistency, maintaining Graffeo's disciplined philosophy of producing a limited range of roasts with extraordinary care—his signature dark roast is the result of thousands of hours of experimentation to achieve a smooth, integrated flavor profile that has earned loyalty from Michelin-starred restaurants and prominent food critics. Now in his 80s, Repetto continues working daily to ensure his roasting standards remain exact, viewing roasting as both an art and a technology. He credits mentor Mike Sivetz with exposing him to the science behind coffee roasting and advocates for more serious training and education throughout the specialty coffee industry, emphasizing that quality craft requires deep study and commitment rather than treating coffee as a casual business.