Shop - Lily & Willy's Coffee Co.

India – Pearl Mountain

brett — Thu, 04 Dec 2025 16:29:32 +0000

This coffee plantation was planted in 1920 by Shivappaiya Patre, who cultivated the estate and called it Ratnagiri which when translated to English means Pearl Mountain. This estate has now been passed on to the 3rd generation of Estate owners, Rohith and Ashok Patre. The coffee is planted between 1200 and 1500 meters in a zone of the Western Ghat mountains that gets consistently heavy rainfall. The coffee on the farm is interplanted with pepper vines (which are grown on the canopy of large shade trees) and cardamom groves. The Patre family is extremely quality conscious. The coffee is grown under shade trees midst pepper vines and cardamom groves. The carefully picked cherries are sorted prior to pulping, fermented between 42 and 72 hours and hand-washed in water from clear mountain streams. The mild vibrance and clean cup taste really sets this Indian Arabica coffee apart from the regions standard.

This coffee has an underlying bittersweetness accented by toasted grain, and mild raw sugars. A sweet underlay of malt syrup saturated the steam coming off the wet grounds, along with accents of brown spices, and some nutty intensity. This isn’t the first time we’ve had this coffee, though it’s the first we’ve published for sale, and I found the bittersweetness in the cup to be moderately intense, with a nice level of complexity. There’s a nice interplay of bittersweet cocoa and accents of praline nuts, malted grains, and a some burnt sugars in the aftertaste. This coffee has pleasant roast flavors that, along with body, are dense in mouthfeel, especially in the darker roasts. These are the kind of cup characteristics that have “espresso” written all of them.

The post India – Pearl Mountain appeared first on Lily & Willy's Coffee Co..

Kenya – Kagunyu

brett — Mon, 28 Jul 2025 22:06:40 +0000

This unique dry process lot comes from the Kagunyu Factory (“factories” = wet mills that are organized as cooperatives), part of the Rumukia Farmer Cooperative Society in Karatina area of Nyeri county. While we tend to mostly buy wet process Kenyan coffees, known for clean and bright flavors, we’re also drawn to fruity dry process lots like this. The cup profile showed a lot of stone fruit character, and heady spice notes, like woody Chai tea. It’s quite a contrast to the other Kenya’s on our site, and I recommend it to those who enjoy dry process coffees from Ethiopia (or really anyone who enjoys wilder, unrestrained flavors). The altitude is 1600+ meters above sea level, and growing areas in the fertile foothills of Mt. Kenya and Aberdare ranges. Most farmer members have on average only 250 coffee tress: a “garden” more or less. Again, in Kenya coffee “societies” the farmer’s plots are so small, they are measured in numbers of trees, not in area of land as they are in other coffee origins. But this means that co-ops provide micro-management of every coffee tree by the owner of the land, not by a large-scale agriculture operation like the big estates of Kiambu or Thika. The member farmers have the two preferred coffee varieties under cultivation, SL-28 and SL-34, with the vast majority of trees being SL-28.

This natural Kenyan pushes big fruit flavors in the cup that were a bit rustic, like dried fruit, with some more complex fermented notes too. The ground coffee released a scent of dried stone fruit and mango, with a creamy note of fruit smoothie. After pouring hot water on the grounds, the crust that formed at the top of our glasses had a powerful sweetness of caramelized sugars, accented by notes of berry sauce, fermented peach, and woody whole spices. The brewed coffee had very nice stone fruit flavors that came off like kombucha, dried apricot, and peach Italian soda with cream. There’s a very pleasant acidity in the lighter roasts, also reminiscent of stone fruit. As the coffee cooled down a bit, we noted flavor profiles of spiced fruit chutney, orange marmalade, and woody Chai spices. This coffee’s sweet finish was also something that stood out to us, and it does a great job balancing fruit flavors, and some of the rustic cup qualities.

The post Kenya – Kagunyu appeared first on Lily & Willy's Coffee Co..

Ethiopia – Guji

brett — Tue, 17 Sep 2024 14:39:12 +0000

The coffee comes from small holder farmers in Kebele (town) Buku Sayisa, Guji Zone, a region of very altitude that ranges from 2100 to 2300 meters above sea level. These lots are made up of coffee from several hundred different farmers, most with only a couple hundred coffee trees or less. The people in this region are known as Guji Oromo, and coffee farming has been a core part of the culture in the highland areas for many years. It’s a distinct coffee from Yirga Cheffe, and Sidamo. Geographically, culturally, and in terms of cup flavors, these southern coffees have a different flavor profile while maintaining the same general characteristics; in the case of natural process, fruited, and aromatic.

Dark fruit notes and strong spiced aspects flourish in the dry fragrance, with accents of berry and ripe mango, cinnamon and cardamom spices, and a honey sweetness underneath. The wetted crust smells very sweet, with potent aromatics too. Our light roasts had a scent of ripe fruits and honey raised in the steam, along with herbal/floral accent notes that add a complex layer within. The cup complexity tops our list, one of the biggest factors playing into that being fruit flavors and potent aromatics. The fruits are berry-like in the brew, with a juicy plumpness in mouthfeel. Flavors or blueberry and cooked peach bring out “pie filling” aspects in the profile, with top note accents of red berry juice, mixed melon salad, cantaloupe, with some green honeydew in the finish. The fragrant aroma compliments the ripe berry notes, such as perfumed aspects of fresh rue herb that have a floral element to them. I am impressed by our medium roast of this Ethiopian- a blackberry flavor that pushed through heavier roast tones of dark cocoa, and rustic cacao. Acidity is rounded off a bit, but I didn’t feel like it was missing with the juicy fruit accents lending to an acidic impression.

The post Ethiopia – Guji appeared first on Lily & Willy's Coffee Co..

Kenya – Kirinyaga

brett — Tue, 17 Sep 2024 14:27:02 +0000

The Gikirima Factory is located right on the border between Kirinyaga and Embu districts, serving farmers on both sides of that line. “Factories” are washing stations where coffee cherry is processed down to the green coffee seed. In most cases, this involves depulping the fruit, followed by a fermentation stage that washes away any remaining fruit mucilage, and then drying the coffee on raised beds. At Gikirima, the fruit is removed using a disc-type depulper, common to Kenya. The fermentation stage is typical held to 24 hours, and dry times range from 1 to 2 weeks depending on weather. The washing station sits on the south side of Mount Kenya at 1800 meters above sea level, and farms can reach up to 2000 meters. “AB” refers to the size of the coffee bean, in this case 15/64″ to 17/64″. These are the medium sized beans, only trumped by the slightly larger “AA”. In terms of cup quality, there’s not always a discernible difference. That said, the AA screen size always commands a higher price, even when it’s not a better tasting coffee! We loved this AB separation from Gikirima, and think you will too.

There was a fruited sweetness that came through in the dry fragrance that reminded dried plum, and along with brown sugar notes, brought out some cookie-like pastry accents. The wet aroma opens up to include citrus notes such as orange marmalade, along with red fruits, a hint of grape, and a hefty undercurrent of raw sugar sweetness. Acidity is a strong point in Gikirima’s cup profile, an aspect that is highlighted by flavor notes of tart fruits and teas. The level of sweetness at City roast is moderate, just enough to help round off some of the more vibrant flavors, like huckleberries, Meyer lemon, and rooibos tea. It’s a refreshing coffee, one I’d reach for to make iced coffee on a hot Summer day (oh, how I long for one right now!). There are some spice notes that come into play, especially in the aftertaste. For me it covered the aromatic spices that carry a bittering quality, like saffron, powdered ginger, and even a hint of turmeric. Gikirima has bright cup flavors and complexity at City/City+ roast levels, perfect for pour over.

If you like this citrusy coffee and want to try something similar with a little twist, try our Nicaragua (light) or Costa Rica (medium).

The post Kenya – Kirinyaga appeared first on Lily & Willy's Coffee Co..

Colombia – Cauca

brett — Thu, 28 Sep 2023 18:28:30 +0000

This “Veredas Vecinas” blend is made up of coffees from neighboring villages in Inzá, Cauca. While the regions are hardly neighboring each other, the veredas (“villages”) where they were pulled from are. The bulk of the coffee is from a buying operation in San Antonio, within the Southwestern Colombian region of Inzá de Cauca. As you make the drive from La Plata to Inzá, you follow the Rio Páez, and an eventual crossing over a suspension bridge lands you on the road to the villages where we buy coffee. Like much of Colombia, Cauca is home to very high altitude farms, many above the 2000 meter mark. The coffees that make up this lot were harvested from an altitude range of about 1500 to 2000 meters. This is a wet-processed coffee, most farmers using old style depulpers that are powered by hand-crank or small motors, then fermenting and washing the coffee in the same tank, and finally drying the coffee in covered drying rooms called “parabolicos”.

The dry fragrance has balanced sweetness and low tones, with accents of unrefined sugars, molasses, brown bread, and bittersweet cocoa in the more developed roasts. The wet crust has a very attractive smell of caramel and malt syrup, with hints of toasted nut, and peach pie filling. Veredas Vecinas delivers deep low tones with flavor profile of bittersweet chocolate torte, Dutch drinking cocoa, and a note of dried date. This coffee is big-bodied no matter roast level, with pleasing, rounded mouthfeel that lends to a long aftertaste. For those looking for a Colombian espresso option, expect syrupy chocolate with a flash of dried fruit, viscous mouthfeel and lasting bittersweet finish.

The post Colombia – Cauca appeared first on Lily & Willy's Coffee Co..

El Salvador – Ataco

brett — Sun, 10 Sep 2023 18:59:16 +0000

Finca San Luis is owned by Luis Duarte, and is located in Ataco, Ahuachapan, not too far from the Santa Ana volcano. San Luis spans roughly 25 well-shaded hectares of land, across an altitude range of 1280 – 1400 meters above sea level. The farm is actually made up of several different “blocks” in close proximity to each other, though not necessarily connected. The Duarte family has chosen to plant their farm heavily in Bourbon cultivar, a tradition going back more than 50 years. But they also have small plots with other varieties too that are picked and processed separately. This compact, dwarf coffee plant is a cross of Sarchimor and the Ethiopian heirloom, Rume Sudan. While variety certainly impacts cup flavors, dry processing plays the biggest role here. Tasting it amongst the other washed coffees from Duarte’s farms, the fruit-forward cup flavors were hard to miss, making it impossible for us to pass up! Don’t expect the floral fruit of a dry process Ethiopian coffee. But rather, rustic fruits that display winey aromatics, as well as juicy undertones, and impressive bittersweetness to boot.

Fruit notes bring a rustic edge to deep, low toned bittersweetness, while low-acid and thick body help keep the focus on the intense cup flavors. The fragrance and aroma came off a bit like anaerobic coffee, with rustic overtones, and earthy cacao notes. The cup has flavors of pungent burnt sugars, and smokey bittersweet notes of toasted cocoa nibs. Pulpy fruit notes bring a slight fermentation aspect to the cooling cup, hinting at plum wine, lambic ales, and honey mead. The texture is thick and weighty, which lends to some lingering fruits in the finish, blunted in the long finish by rustic bittersweetness. Roast tones were prominent, with a matrix of rustic cacao bar, and unsweetened baking chocolate, along with dried date, and a savory note of Brazil nut.

The post El Salvador – Ataco appeared first on Lily & Willy's Coffee Co..

Ethiopia – Guji

Editor — Sat, 22 Jul 2023 21:50:36 +0000

The post Ethiopia – Guji appeared first on Lily & Willy's Coffee Co..

Guatemala – Huehuetenango

Editor — Sat, 22 Jul 2023 21:46:43 +0000

Don Mauricio Perez Bravo is from Tectitan. This town is a bit farther south than Cuilco and Peña Roja where most of our buying is focused, though still quite close to the border with Chiapas. Mauricio’s farm is called, El Divino Niño, and is planted around 1300 meters above sea level with mostly Catimor, a hybrid variety valued for resistance to leaf rust, which is more wide spread in lower elevation zones. After pulping the outer cherries, Mauricio ferments his coffee for 30 hours to break down the fruit mucilage before washing it away and drying on cement patios. His coffee showed well-balanced sweetness when cupping, with subtle fruit aspects that highlight a pleasant level of acidity.

First thing we notice in the dry fragrance is an outstanding, brightly-fruited scent, red apple and peach, with underlying raw brown sugar sweetness. Adding water, a syrupy sweetness, complex caramelized raw sugars and pancake syrup is at the forefront, with dried fruit and mulling spice. The cup follows the trail of the aromatic clues, with attractive caramel, dark sugars and fruit. The balance of the malic acidic impression and roast-y bittersweets is attractive, with enough bright apple-laced acidity to clean the palate, and a medium body delivering a cocoa nib accent. Rice syrup, mulling spice mix, and a slight trace of almond trail off in the aftertaste.

If that sounds like you’re type of coffee and you want to try another that’s a bit more punchy, try our Kenya!

The post Guatemala – Huehuetenango appeared first on Lily & Willy's Coffee Co..

Colombia – Cauca

Editor — Sat, 22 Jul 2023 21:39:22 +0000

This blend of coffee from Inzá is made up of coffees from small producers in Vereda San Antonio, Inzá (“vereda” being the equivalent of a small neighborhood). The province of Inzá is located in Southwestern Colombia within the greater Department of Cauca. As you make the drive from La Plata to Inzá, you follow the Rio Páez, and an eventual crossing over a suspension bridge lands you on the road to the the villages whose coffees make up this blend. Like much of Colombia, Cauca is home to some very high altitude farms, many breaching the 2000 meter mark, the coffee from this lot harvested from an altitude range of about 1600 to 2000 meters. This is a wet-processed coffee, most farmers using old style hand-cranked pulpers, fermenting and washing in the same tank, and then drying out on raised, covered beds. Most farms have a healthy amount of Caturra planted, as well as some of the common Timor hybrids you see in Colombia, like Variedad Colombia and Tabi, that were produced for disease resistance and higher productivity.

The dry fragrance had a clean raw sugar sweetness with accents of fragrant caramel and spice. After pouring the hot water, the coffee smelled very sweet, and pulled out a scent of light brown sugar, spiced tea, and dried apple. This coffee from San Antonio makes a very sweet cup at a wide range of roasts, with lively brightness that’s mouth refreshing in light roasts. Our roast boasts raw sugar flavors at the front of the cup, accented by fruited hints of golden raisin, juicy plum, and some fruit skin bittering in the finish. As I moved through the cup, the cooling coffee delivered a tart-to-sweet aspect that brought to mind honey-sweetened black tea, with subtle spice notes that impacted the cup aroma, and made for a complex aftertaste. The mild top notes provided uniquely contrast to the balanced bittersweet flavors, and the acidic impression shifted from tangy citrus to tannic teas.

The post Colombia – Cauca appeared first on Lily & Willy's Coffee Co..

Decaf Blend

Editor — Sat, 22 Jul 2023 21:38:24 +0000

This decaf coffee was processed by Swiss Water Process in Vancouver BC, whose patented process uses only water to remove 99.9% of the caffeine content and leaving much of the volatile compounds intact. We’re calling it “Boda Boda” blend, as a way of paying tribute to the amazing “boda boda” motorcycle taxis common to East Africa. It’s amazing to see just how many passengers these drivers will cram on two wheels, regularly shuttling 3, 4…even 5 people around bustling cities and on dusty roads! Have cargo to move too? No problem! Boda boda drivers don’t seem to have any qualms defying the laws of physics! The coffees that went into this blend are from stations Mutovu and Karambi in Nyamasheke, Rwanda, and a small amount of dry process coffee from Gakenke site in Kayanza, Burundi.

This East African decaf blend of Burundi and Rwanda coffees yields well-balanced sweetness, subtle top note hints, and moderate bittersweet tones that all come together to make quite an appealing decaf. Grinding a light roast, the fragrance releases notes of sugar in the raw with a baking spice hint, vanilla wafer cookies, and a slight honey note. I found the wet aroma to be simple, sweet, and convincingly “non-decaf” in character. The brew showed a nice balance between sweetness and acidity, nothing “over the top” in terms of flavors, and reminded me how East African coffees can be great replacements for coffees of Central America. City+ roasts bring pleasantly sweet accents to the brew, like light brown sugar, and sucanat, contrasted by and subtle hints of citrus, and green apple. More developed roasts improve on roast tones, like dark chocolate, and cinnamon-laced hot cocoa.

The post Decaf Blend appeared first on Lily & Willy's Coffee Co..