Anodyne recently sent me one of their flagship coffees—Donuts Friend Blend. This blend is comprised of coffee from the Reje Gayo Cooperative in Aceh, Sumatra and a certified organic roast from Guatemala. The Guatemalan component is from the region of San Pedro La Laguna, Atitlan.
SUMATRA REJE GAYO COOPERATIVE
This coffee comes to us courtesy of the Reje Gayo co-op in central Aceh, Indonesia where it is wet-pulped and dried for an average of three days. There are a total of 282 producers that contributed coffee to this specific lot—all of whom are women. These women either own, or manage a farm of an average area of 1.5 hectares. The Reje Gayo Cooperative works with this group of women producers, helping to educate in terms of production practices, and overseeing the application of a premium that was included in the purchase of this coffee.
The use of the premium was decided by majority vote taken among all women members at a village meeting. This year’s premium will be put towards purchasing new farm tools: shovels, hoes, saws, and shears for all members. Reje Gayo believes this program will continue to grow and promote the ability of women producers through education and an organized support system.
Reje Gayo’s plans for the future include the distribution of organic fertilizers, provision of coffee shade plants such as avocado, basic construction training, and the provision of coffee seeds.
SAN PEDRO LA LAGUNA
On the southwest shore of Lake Atitlan surrounded by volcanic mountains, lies the bustling town of San Pedro La Laguna. For centuries the town has been inhabited primarily by Mayan ancestors known as the Tz’utujil people. Coffee beans hailing from the Atitlan region are grown along the slopes of the numerous area volcanoes. The rich, volcanic soil and high-elevation produce slow-growing beans unlike any other origin. Harvested beans are washed with the waters of Lake Atitlan.
Welcome to my Table, here in the corner of this cafe. Today we’re sipping the Donut’s Friend Blend, from Anodyne Coffee Roasting Company in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Feel free to pull up a chair.
THEDETAILS
region: Aceh, Sumatra, Indonesia // San Pedro La Laguna, Atitlan, Guatemala
farm: N/A
producer: smallholder farmers
association: Reje Gayo Cooperative // N/A
elevation: 1200 – 1600 // 1500 – 1600 meters above sea level
cultivars: Bourbon, Catimor, Typica // Typica, Bourbon, Caturra, Catuai
process: fully washed, patio dried
CUPPINGNOTES
The aroma of Donut’s Friend Blend is mellow, but it has some distinct nuances that are indicative of the regions represented in the blend. Moderately roasty scents of musty earth, wood, and nuts give the aroma with a backbone while apple and citrus provide some brightness.
The coffee is pretty full-bodied—a little on the lighter side of a full body, really—and features a silky mouthfeel and a tangy citric acidity. Again, the coffee is moderately roasty—a bit roastier than I usually go for, but it’s not overdone; it’s pretty apparent that the roast level wasn’t designed to mask anything as I’m tasting a little bit of that funky, musty, woodsy Sumatran earthiness up front. There’s also a bit of roasted almond and bitter dark chocolate here in the early stages of the cup. As the coffee cools off a bit, a sharp, biting Granny Smith apple juiciness appears while the citrus note goes from tangy (like a tangerine) to sweet (like orange juice), and roasted nuts play through the finish.
FINALTHOUGHTS
Donut’s Friend Blend has been a mainstay in Anodyne Coffee’s lineup for a long time—it’s been on their shelves for over ten years and has always been a favorite of their customers, and I can see why. This is an approachable, friendly coffee, but it has a bit of liveliness that makes it exciting, too.
What were your thoughts of this one? Comments, questions, and suggestions are always welcome! Feel free to enter a comment below. Also remember to like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter, and follow us on Instagram!
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Andrew is a husband, father, dog lover, craft beverage enthusiast, content creator, and niche market Internet celebrity. Formerly of A Table in the Corner of the Cafe and The Pulitzer Project and contributor to Barista Magazine and Mental Floss, he’s been writing on the Internet for years.