Freehand coffee is a celebration of its origins. The beautiful bags designs brings messages, secrets and riddles from the hearts of the countries where the coffee is farmed. Freehand drinkers embark on a journey around the world, unearthing new flavours and discovering new ways to enjoy coffee.

Guatemala El Pensativo:
60% REGION: CHIMALTENANGO, ACTENANGO, GUATEMALA
VARIETAL: BOURBON, CATURRA, CATUAI, TYPICA
ELEVATION: 1550-2000 MASL
PROCESS: WASHED
El Pensativo cooperative is located near San Antonio Nejapa, and not far from the volcanoes Acatenango and Fuego, within the boundaries of Chimaltenango. The two volcanoes together are known as La Horqueta and are constantly active in normally low levels of activity, though of course every now and then, the risk is all too evident. The nearby river here is also prone to flooding, so particular care has to be taken in the siting of the processing equipment and the drying patios.
Established in 1972, El Pensativo is a primary cooperative that has consistently evolved to grow both the quality and their export markets through the help of Fedecocagua. The work between cooperatives allows one to focus on what they are good at, whilst the other offers a similar level of expertise and understanding but in an alternative aspect. Fedecocagua have improved access to agronomists for improved crop and cup quality, as well as buying machinery for wet processing and providing access to microfinancing for the members of El Pensativo to enable them to provide small scale rejuvenation products or buy fertilizer where needed.
Some of the varietals here are very traditional, typica is still referred to as Arabigo, harking back to its early introduction into the country.

Rwanda Twongerekawa Coko:
30% REGION: NORTHERN DISTRICT, GAKENKE, COKO, RWANDA
VARIETAL: BOURBON
ELEVATION: 1800 – 2200 MASL
PROCESS: WASHED
 A country that is predominantly young and rural in population, Rwanda has one of the highest population densities in Africa and is one of the very few countries with a female majority in government. The Provinces were reorganized in 2006, reducing twelve to five, and reducing 106 districts in to thirty. Gakenke lies in the southern part of the Northern District of Rwanda, between the Southern Province and Lake Ruhondo. The Twongerekawa Coko cooperative, formed of 134 producers of which 96 are female, lies south of the Baramba river. 
Comprised of numerous hills stretching like interlocking fingers across the land, elevation is often very high, and the winding roads add complexity to the transportation of the gathered cherries to the washing station. Coffee is commonly grown by smallholders who heavily rely on communal collection points for the cherry to be transported quickly and efficiently to the local washing station. Infrastructure therefore plays a large part in the effectiveness of this. There are two wet and dry seasons in the country, with good quality coffee available over a large harvest season, though the recent changes in rainfall patterns caused by climate change have led to flooding and landslides, causing the closure of roads and destruction of bridges.

Sumatran Mandheling:
10% REGION: NORTH SUMATRA, ACEH, INDONESIA
VARIETAL: ATENG, TYPICA, TIM-TIM, LINIE S, CATIMOR
ELEVATION: 1100 – 1400 MASL
PROCESS: SEMI-WASHED, SUNDRIED ON PATIOS
The Republic of Indonesia is a country of seventeen thousand islands, reaching across the Indian and Pacific oceans and forming part of the Ring of Fire. Unsurprisingly, it is the world’s largest island country, though with only the second largest coastline. Forming part of the Sunda Islands, that are an archipelago stretching across Malaysia, Brunei, East Timor, and Indonesia is Sumatra. Largest of the islands it is fully encompassed within the country’s borders. The northern part holds Lake Toba, formed in a caldera caused by the largest-known explosive eruption in the last 25 million years which caused a drop in global temperatures of around 4°C that lasted for three years.
Mandheling primarily stems from the slopes of Mount Leuser, in the Aceh province, though has over time expanded to become more of a type sample and flavour profile over strict geographical boundary. Coffees therefore can come from a number of cooperatives with a similar characteristic of herbal, sweet, complex flavours over the traditional blue/green bean the Giling Basah process lends. This is often referred to as semi-washed and describes a process where the bean is wet processed as usual, but dry-milled whilst still with a larger amount of moisture (20-25%) in the bean than you would find in other countries. This is mainly due to the high humidity levels experienced thorughout the country, necessitating a quickened drying process.

Freehand #1 Origins

A celebration of over twenty decades in coffee roasting, a growth from small to large, a full circle to where where we began.

Freehand Coffee Roasters

The Layo Taraga Cooperative is situated in the Uraga district of Oromia. 

Uraga is one of the woredas (Subcity) in the Oromia Region of Ethiopia. Part of the Guji Zone, Uraga is bordered on the south by Odo Shakiso, on the west by the Borena Zone, on the north by the Southern Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples Region, and on the east by Bore. The Oromia Regional State has more than 65% of the country’s total coffee growing land. 

Layo Tarage is a member of Oromia Coffee Farmers’ Cooperative Union (OCFCU) which is one of the largest coffee unions in Ethiopia, established on 1st June 1999. OCFU pays 70% of its net profit back to the cooperatives, who in turn pay 70% of these profits to the member farmers. They also provide loans to their members and Layo Teraga have received finance for improvements such as tiled fermentation tanks and storage sheds at the washing station. 

Coffee is shade grown on one-hectare plots of land by approx. 500 members. During the harvest members deliver their coffee cherry to the washing station where it is sorted before being depulped. It is then fermented for 8 – 12 hours, where any remaining mucilage is broken down. Afterwards coffee is washed in channels, soaked and dried on African beds for 10 – 14 days until it reaches an 11% moisture content. 

REGION: URAGA, GUJI ZONE, OROMIA
VARIETAL: VARIOUS HEIRLOOM VARIETALS
IMPORTER: DR WAKEFIELD

Ethiopian Guji Layo Tarage

Finca Las Margaritas is in the town of Caicedonia in the village of Campo Azul. Situated on a steep mountain slope, Las Margaritas sits between 1550 – 1700 meters with a mild temperature range of 64℉ – 74℉. Las Margaritas farm is planted with several varietals farmed under sustainable agricultural practices. When harvesting, coffee cherries must meet strict standards of ripeness and quality before being accepted for processing. 

Rigoberto Herrera of Cafe Granja La Esperanza has spent the last several years experimenting and pushing coffee innovation. At the Las Margaritas farm, he has planted several varieties not typically found in Colombia. These include some of the earliest plantings of Geisha trees in the country as well as the rare Mokka variety. Joining these trees on the slopes is the unique Pacamara. A hybrid of the Pacas and the giant Maragogype varieties, this is a low-yielding, intensely sweet coffee not often grown in Colombia. 

REGION: CAICEDONIA, VALLE DEL CAUCA
VARIETAL: PACAMARA
IMPORTER: DR WAKEFIELDS

Colombia Finca Las Margaritas

Freehand coffee is a celebration of its origins. The beautiful bags designs brings messages, secrets and riddles from the hearts of the countries where the coffee is farmed. Freehand drinkers embark on a journey around the world, unearthing new flavours and discovering new ways to enjoy coffee.

40% REGION: COLOMBIA PICO DE AGUILA, CAUCA
VARIETAL: CATURRA, CATUAI, TYPICA
ALTITUDE: 1500-1800 MASL
PROCESS: FULLY WASHED
 
60% REGION: MANTIQUEIRA DE MINAS, BRAZIL
VARIETAL: BOURBON, CATUAI, MUNDO NOVO
ELEVATION: 900-1000 MASL
PROCESS: NATURAL

Freehand #2

Freehand coffee is a celebration of its origins. The beautiful bags designs brings messages, secrets and riddles from the hearts of the countries where the coffee is farmed. Freehand drinkers embark on a journey around the world, unearthing new flavours and discovering new ways to enjoy coffee.

40% REGION: GUJI LAYO TARAGE, ETHIOPIA
VARIETAL: VARIOUS HEIRLOOM VARIETALS
ALTITUDE: 1900-2000 MASL
PROCESS: WASHED
 
60% REGION: BRAZIL SANTA COLOMBA
VARIETAL: CATUAI
ELEVATION: 1000 – 1200 MASL
PROCESS: PULPED NATURAL/NATURAL

Freehand Pink Label

This coffee represents various smallholder farmers, each of whom owns an average of 2 hectares within the Oriente region, specifically the municipalities of Jalapa, Jutiapa, Santa Rosa, Zacapa, and Chiquimula. The farms are made of predominantly clay soil and sit nearby the Ayarza Lake.

Coffees are picked ripe and dried on patios for 20–23 days for this Natural lot,

What makes Guatemalan coffees so unique is its high altitudes, diverse microclimates, consistent rainfall patterns, and excellent cultivation and processing, hence producing a variety of distinctive types of Guatemalan Arabica coffees.

New Oriente is one of the oldest coffee growing regions in Guatemala. The region is in eastern Guatemala along the border with Honduras. In the 1980s, responding to the increasing demand for specialty coffee, the region took off.

These days virtually every mountain back yard is a coffee farm. Located over what was once a volcanic range, its soil is made from metamorphic rock. This makes it balanced in minerals and very different from Guatemala’s volcanic regions, which have all seen volcanic activity since coffee was first planted.

The climate, clay and metamorphic volcanic soils result in high quality coffee with a distinct acidity and good body. Nuevo Oriente coffee grows at elevations from 4,300 feet to 5,500 feet above sea level where the rainfall averages about 1,900 mm each year and temperatures range from 18 to 25 degrees Celsius (64 to 77 degrees Fahrenheit).

REGION: SANTA ROSA, ORIENTE
VARIETAL: BOURBON, CATURRA, CATUAI, PACHE
IMPORTER: CAFE IMPORTS

El Boqueron

Freehand coffee is a celebration of its origins. The beautiful bags designs brings messages, secrets and riddles from the hearts of the countries where the coffee is farmed. Freehand drinkers embark on a journey around the world, unearthing new flavours and discovering new ways to enjoy coffee.

15% REGION: CALDAS DEPARTMENT, MARULANDA, MONTEBONTO, COLOMBIA
VARIETAL: CATURRA, CATUAI, TYPICA
ALTITUDE: 1160-1800 MASL
PROCESS: WASHED
 
60% REGION: MANTIQUEIRA DE MINAS, BRAZIL
VARIETAL: YELLOW BOURBON
ELEVATION: 1200 MASL
PROCESS: NATURAL
 
25% REGION: JAGONG JEGET, SUMATRAN MANDHELING JAYA KOPI
VARIETAL: BOURBON, S-LINI, CATIMOR, TYPICA, ATENG
ELEVATION: 1400-1600 MASL
PROCESS: SEMI-WASHED, SUNDRIED ON PATIOS

Freehand Black Label

Peru was divided into 24 departments before the 2002 addition of the Callao province and a collective renaming to regions. It is the Cajamarca region, home to many great coffee producing provinces that Sol Y Café members grow their coffee, from the slopes of the Andes mountain range to the Amazon rainforest and its diverse flora and fauna. There are many protected areas around, and this means production leans towards an organic methodology with the aim of preserving as much of the biodiversity as they can.

The cooperative has just over 1000 farmers spread across 12 districts in total. Their aim is to improve the living conditions of their members through the increase in productivity, production, and profitability as well as quality and the positioning of themselves within niche markets.

REGION: CAJAMARCA, JAÉN, SAN IGNACIO
VARIETAL: BOURBON & CATUAI
IMPORTER: DR WAKEFIELD

Freehand #3

The is our new decaffeinated offering from our partners Cafe Imports under it’s ‘Origin Select’, it is Sugarcane EA processed, rather than the usual Swiss Water Process. These coffees are sourced green by Café Imports prior to decaffeination, breaking from the industry norm. By doing this, they can provide the highest quality water and E.A. (sugar cane) processed products available. 

This lot is chosen from among lots brought by several smallholder growers in the region of La Plata. Whilst Huila is naturally blessed with optimal coffee growing geography, the key to great quality coffees from the La Plata region (such as this lot) are the growers themselves. Coffee farming within the region is overwhelmingly small-scale. Indeed, approximately 80% of producers from the region farm coffee on less than 3 hectares of land. These small farms are tended by individual families with labour only very rarely being contracted out, which 

leads to more thorough and intensive management practices and great pride in the final product – which is, itself, an extension of the family.   

REGION: COLOMBIA LA PLATA, HUILA
VARIETAL:  COLOMBIA, CASTILLO, CATURRA
IMPORTER: CAFE IMPORTS

Colombian La Plata Decaf

Peru was divided into 24 departments before the 2002 addition of the Callao province and a collective renaming to regions. It is the Cajamarca region, home to many great coffee producing provinces that Sol Y Café members grow their coffee, from the slopes of the Andes mountain range to the Amazon rainforest and its diverse flora and fauna. There are many protected areas around, and this means production leans towards an organic methodology with the aim of preserving as much of the biodiversity as they can. 

The cooperative has just over 1000 farmers spread across 12 districts in total. Their aim is to improve the living conditions of their members through the increase in productivity, production, and profitability as well as quality and the positioning of themselves within niche markets. 

REGION: CAJAMARCA, JAÉN, SAN IGNACIO
VARIETAL: BOURBON & CATUAI
IMPORTER: DR WAKEFIELD

Freehand Coffee Roasters

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Freehand Coffee Roasters

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

Coffee Roasts

Colombian La Plata Decaf

Dota Hermosa Honey

Ethiopian Guji Layo Tarage

Freehand #1 Origins

Freehand #2

Freehand #3

Freehand Pink Label

Coffee archive

Colombia Finca Las Margaritas

El Boqueron

Freehand Black Label

Peru Dios Te De

New Coffee Review