I am delighted to announce our partnership with Valentin & Gasharu coffee. A direct trade, multi container/coffee partnership which will see direct investment into the Gasharu Community Social Welfare Project and Rugori Women’s Crown Program. Valentin and myself are delighted to work on a range of coffee varietals and post harvest processing techniques to give you the very best of Gasharu & Silverskin coffee. We originally met through an Ikawa/Algrano event during covid times. This was the first time I had cupped IREME an anaerobic experimental lot that blew me away.
The quality of coffee and the emphasis on community make Gasharu one of the best producers around and we are genuinely delighted to be working with them.
During my trip to Guatemala I had the pleasure of competing in the World Cold Brew Championships (hosted by Toddy).
The was an amazing competition and lots of fun to take part in. On day one we had ten minutes prep time. I used 100g of Hacienda Sonora to 1.7 litres water. http://www.sonoracoffee.com/home Piramide Fermentation which is a Centroamericano varietal. Hacienda Sonora currently works with more than 20 varietals and several unique processing methods. The farm has been in the Guardia family for more than 100 years but has focused exclusively on specialty coffee since 1999. We have worked with these guys many times over the years and their coffee is synonymous with quality Costa Rican lots worldwide.
Using the Toddy essential brewer ( I enjoyed using it so much, they are now available on our website)
A medium/slightly coarse grind was selected and the coffee was then refrigerated for 24 hours. Competitiors had the option to leave it at room temp or to make a concentrate for the following day.
The rules are fairly relaxed compared with other competitions but you need to make a coldbrew and a specialty drink/cocktail.
I had one small issue, upon travelling I didn’t bring glassware or any tools for presenting. Up steps Christian from Unitrade http://unitradecoffee.com who was our host for the trip. Himself and Nico were THE most amazing hosts and their generosity was unbelievable. So I had glasses a Antigua Cerveza bottle to serve (Cerveza is a native beer in Guate).
To prepare the coldbrew was easy enough as described above although this exact ratio I hadn’t tried previously. The specialty drink was a little different. I had bought and brought with me an ice cube mould in the shape of small coffee beans and 100g of Cascara again from the same tree and farm (Hacienda Sonora).
I made a syrup of 100g cascara to 100ml water this was steeped for 5 minutes to concentrate and then frozen in the mould overnight.
The first day of the PRF (producer roaster forum) I met Jorge Mendez a farmer form Finca La Apiario also known as the Honey Bee Farm. His honey is called coffee blossom honey https://youtu.be/2hjQmTDgXwE?si=w5w0L7bVRBJZ9p7- and I was so inspired by him his story and his amazing product that I wanted to somehow include it in the drink.
So I erm *borrowed an ice bucket from my hotel and some spoons and set off on day 2 to compete.
The competition was well organised and lots of fun to take part in. I was really happy with how the drink turned out the coldbrew had notes of orange fruits, muted acidity due to its 24 hours brewing which was perfect. Stewed peach, apricot, candy cotton and a huge honey note 🙂
The presentation went really well and I had the guys from my sourcing trip pumping up the crowd 😂😂
So onto my specialty beverage * Honey Blossom Cascara. I used the same coldbrew but added 5g of frozen cascara syrup to each drink and asked the judges to add their own honey (in case they didn’t like it). I managed to place 4th overall which I was genuinely delighted with. This is something I would definitely do again.
True Coldbrew, Cold Brew Nitro & Oat Milk Flatwhite (Nitro) were launched and received with really positive and encouraging feedback.
This project has been underway behind the scenes now for over 18 months and its a pleasure to finally put it out into the world. We brought along a Tone Nitro for sampling and got to work for the 3 day festival. These festivals are always a lot of work but are equally rewarding as its a chance to test the product face to face with the cusomer.
Our coldbrew range will be available very soon with our wholesale partners and on our designated coldbrew website.
Here you can buy merchandise, glasses , stickers along with Toddy brewers and coffee concentrate for home/business use.
PRF Guatemala. What an amazing trip. I arrived two days behind the rest of the group as we had our big launch at Dublin Coffee Festival. Our True Cold Brew range was unleashed onto the world, it was a resounding success thanks to the team here. Nothing like finishing one trade show and flying to another. But before that,I got the chance to visit Unitrade and meet the people who produce our coffee. This was a unique opportunity to see the impact and the people’s story behind its production.
Finca Catalán De Les Mercedes, Jilotepeque Chimaltenango
Day 1. I visited the Unitrade HQ and visited the farm.
Here Nico and team offer a broad variety of specialty coffee including Red Bourbon, Yellow Bourbon, Geisha, Pacamara, Marogogype and more from the highlands of Guatemala at an altitude of 6,000 – 6,800 ft.
They produce SHB Fancy (Strictly Hard Bean) and Micro lots. Our processes include: Washed, Honey and Natural. Coffee is patio and raised bed dried.
We travelled all the way to the top of the plantation with plenty of stops along the way to pick and taste different varietals. This place is so clean and the views are breathtaking. There is a nursery on site for worker’s families and the kids are cared for and educated on site.
Day 2. Beneficial el Boqueron Guatemala 🇬🇹 (Rainforest Alliance Certified)
Located in the southern mountainous region of Guatemala the Santa Rosa region is home to 250 smallholder farmers. Probably the greatest day of learning on our whole trip. 2 wet mills, 22 dryers AND a maximum security prison next door (I am not joking) 🙃
The traditional wet mill still utilising lots of water (which is re-purposed over and over) and is very labour intensive work. This process involves washing several stages and using water to transport beans.
In contrast to this a huge investment into a new mill which expedites the process and negates fermentation, water usage and labour costs. Neither one is superior to the other but shows how processing/farms need to adapt all the time. We are very proud to buy from this particular mill and these awesome people.
New SZN Finca Palmichal ✌🏻 A simply wonderful coffee from Colombia, which gives the zest and tropical acidity to our house espresso. Beautiful as a stand alone espresso or indeed on filter.
QUALITY SCORE: 87.75 Cup Notes Lemon Zest / Maple Syrup / Green Apple / Caramel / Tropical Fruits
Atilano Giraldo’s Finca Palmichal is settled within this district at an altitude of on average 1,560 meters. He calls a total of 53 ha of coffee trees his own.
The finca curls along lush hills next to yucca and green plantain trees.
Having worked alongside his father for years, Atilano is now the third generation to cultivate coffee in this area.
Over the years he has perfected the processes and his knowledge about coffee to create an Arabica full of abundant aromas and prosperous body.
Luckily, two rain seasons enable Atilano to harvest his coffee twice a year, which means a steady supply of this splendid yet rare coffee for you.
We had the pleasure of attending WOC 23′ in Athens this past weekend.
The event was jam packed with the following;
ROASTER VILLAGES
BEST NEW PRODUCT COMPETITION & DISPLAY
COFFEE DESIGN AWARDS
LECTURES
WORKSHOPS
CUPPING ROOMS
BREW BAR & ESPRESSO BAR
WORLD COFFEE CHAMPIONSHIPS
GREEN COFFEE BUYERS & SELLERS PROGRAM
So, an action-packed few days with lots to see, do and taste. There is also the chance to catch up with friends and suppliers from around the coffee world and check out the new innovative products on show.
The guys were dressed in NASA suits on their stand and very friendly and informative on why they’ve designed and produced this product. It was interesting to see competitors on the world stage use it too.
Anyone who knows me, knows I am a sucker for a new coffee gadget 🙂 So naturally we had to pick a few up for testing. We also got to see and use the “King Eddy” a Weiss distribution tool that looks awesome.
Some other really impressive new products were on display and none other than the “Coffee Cosmetics” from Hardbeans in Poland. https://hardbeans.com/
Their array of coldbrew, cocktail and cosmetics was truly impressive!
We got a chance to see the new Tone brewer and catch up with the guys for a brew, also Coffee Tech to chat all things roasters. Interesting to see Ram who designs and builds the roasters his finally launched his stethoscope for first crack 💪🏻.
We dropped by the Roest stand for a brew with two coffee legends Tim Windelbow & Scott Rao. Their brews were dialled in nicely 😂😂.
We tasted so many different coffees but some that stood out were Guariroba Coffee, a COE farm from Brazil http://www.guarirobacoffee.com
Our dear friends Cafe Granja La Esperanza (whose coffee won the World Brewer’s Cup) with Carlos Horacio Medina Isamit. https://cafegranjalaesperanza.com
I also got to meet another coffee partner Nestor Lasso (whose coffee won the World Barista Championship)
No trip would be complete without seeing Valentin from Gasharu another long time partner and good friend. https://www.gasharucoffee.com
Valentin presented a certificate of appreciation to us for our ongoing relationship which was a really nice touch.
He also gave us the upcoming seasons coffee samples.
This methods and all traditional methods do require a lot of manual labour, while the coffee is at risk of oxidisation from being exposed during brewing and sitting in the Toddy unit before/while serving.
Coldbrew over the last couple of years however has become hugely popular along with iced beverages. The brewing process normally takes a long time with the result giving a less acidic and less bitter result.
More developed coffees suit traditional coldbrew methods for “coffee taste”, but in the ever changing world of coffee, coldbrew drinkers now would like to enjoy specialty coffee with different post harvesting processing methods. This is where the Hardtank excels.
The cold brew coffee market is poised to grow by $2176.05 mn from 2023-2027, accelerating at a CAGR of 26.44% during the forecast period.
Baby HardTank it’s a fast cold brew and nitro cold brew maker. In less than 1 hour you can prepare up to 4,5 liters of cold brew coffee, tea or cascara. Innovative, stainless steel double- filtration system makes sure that there are no particles left in your cold brew causing increased bitterness and astringency. Touch screen lets you choose an optimal recipe for your beverage choosing the preferred amount of water and time of extraction. Built -In TDS reader controls your extraction levels throughout the whole production process. HardTank app for smartphones alarms you when the TDS reached your preferred level or production time is about to finish. Automated washing process makes sure that there is no risk of contamination in your beverages. Nitro tap lets you serve chilled and infused with nitrogen cold brew beverage giving it smooth, creamy and refreshing taste.
The app and the program for the hardtank are a little clunky it has to be said. Scrolling the menu is not as easy as it should be and theres a confusing element of how much water the tank holds (when you add 4 litres it reads 3.5 etc)
The fact you can transfer the brew straight to a nitro system and keep the coffee enclosed and thus fresher is very smart and beneficial.
The coldbrew we have enjoyed from the HardTank is definitely a huge improvement on traditional methods, with cleaner less bitter results.
One of the most enjoyable aspects of the Hardtank is being able to experiment with different roast styles and brew time in a controlled way but also in a quick and timely fashion. The cleaning/sanitation cycles can be initiated from the menu or you phone. In the video above you can see a quick cleaning method we use when the tank is not plumbed into a closed system. The cleaning is a doddle and ensures you can continue to brew all day.
We would definitely recommend buying one for your coffee shop/roastery and we look forward to many more brews from the HardTank.
Dave Cummins (known throughout the beverage industry as Beardy Dave) was on hand to talk through the brewing process of our collaboration stout, ageing in Dingle casks and all alcohol/ brewing related queries.
While I had the job of talking about the coffee we used in the collaboration for the stout.
The event kicked off with a round of Espresso Martinis which myself & Dave prepared the preceding hour. Using Los Amapolas Guatemala as the espresso base we added Kahlua Sugar Syrup and some Dingle Vodka.
This was then transferred to the Tone Nitro and created a stunning Martini.
While guests mingled and enjoyed some savoury pastries from the legends at Strudel https://strudelbakery.com/home I set about brewing coffee for the evening.
The running order was as follows.
Espresso Martini in our training centre
Factory tour and introduction to Silverskin Coffee
SLVRSKIN collaboration beer tasting & talk
Dingle Whiskey tasting & talk
Coffee to finish
There was also a very special talk with three legends of the coffee community Jackie Malone, Julie Murray & Vic-Fitz-Henry.
To see old friends from the coffee industry, along with new young voices and the general public with no background in coffee was an amazing experience.
This was our first such event but it won’t be our last. We have plans for a summer event this year and would love to hear your ideas/feedback on what you’re interested in hearing about or partaking in.
Finally I would like to thank everybody who came and donated to two worthy causes, Dave for his super laid back professional attitude, Jackie/Julie/Vick for their contribution.
Last but not least Stephen & Gearóid who gave up their evening and many hours before and after organising the event.
Quakers, stones and defects are just part of the coffee cycle.
Denying they exist or not using the correct equipment is going to damage equipment in the long run.
New innovations in processing are seeing more natural coffees, more anaerobically produced coffees and generally more experimentation.
These experimental coffee lead to unknowns and further possibility of foreign objects due to the nature of their processing.
Here at Silverskin Coffee we are continually reinvesting in our roasting plant and technology!
We want to ensure you and your customer receive the very best cup of coffee.
Using experience built up over almost 30 years experience of roasting and coffee manufacturing.
We have continually reinvested in technologies such as, the Ikawa sample roaster for QC and cupping, the ROEST sample roaster for micro espresso batches (something we found hard to replicate with the IKAWA).
Our bespoke packaging machine and packaging with one way valve. Our Wally Milk assistant and Stay fresh cylinders with peel tech. Both production roasters are fit with state of the art destoners to ensure any debris is removed BEFORE we use the sorter.
How does the sorter work?
There are 68 channels which transfer the beans to a camera, this Nikon camera is assisted using a LED light source (German Osram’s lamp).
Toshiba CCD sensor, the pixel can reach 200 million pixels, which can accurately identify materials and reduce the machine identification error rate.
All easily handled and programmed through a remote control tablet, can be used as an interface with iPhone 😮💨😮💨
On the quest for remarkable coffees, you simply cannot overlook Colombia. Colombia has earned a reputation for high quality coffee thanks to farmers’ hard work and excellent terrain.
The department of Quindío is nestled to the west of the highest Andes sierra, the Cordillera Central. Refreshing yet calm winds descend through green valleys, whilst volcano cones rise impressively. This area, forming part of the Eje Cafetero (coffee axis), has become famous for its long tradition of coffee cultivation. In the very south of Quindío lies the municipality of Génova.
Atilano Giraldo’s Finca Palmichal is situated in this district at an altitude of on average 1,560 meters. The total 53 hectares of the farm are planted with coffee trees. The finca curls along lush hills next to yucca and green plantain trees. Having worked alongside his father for years, Atilano is now the third generation of coffee growers in this area.
Over the years he has perfected the processes and his knowledge about coffee to create an Arabica full of abundant aromas and prosperous body. Luckily, two rain seasons enable Atilano to harvest his coffee twice a year.
QUALITY SCORE: 87.75
Cup Notes
Lemon Zest / Maple Syrup / Green Apple / Caramel / Tropical Fruits
New season Las Amapolas
Huehuetenango, Guatemala has landed 🍬
Guatemala is a fascinating country with rich indigenous culture and stunning natural habitats.
Set in the northwest, bordering Mexico, Huehuetenango has become one of the most well-known coffee growing areas in the country.
The name “Huehuetenango” stems from the historic Aztec language Nahuatl and translates into “place of the ancestors”.
Elevation in this area reaches from 300 to 3850 meters, creating ideal micro-climate conditions for coffee cultivation.
Due to the high elevation these beans grow slower than usual, but also develop a higher density, i.e. building a very hard core.
This is fostered through intense sun exposure during the day, while cold and moist winds cool down the area at night.
Along with higher density comes a complex abundance of citric and fruitful aromas that allow lots from Huehuetenango rank as some of the very best coffees in the world.
This coffee is sweet and balanced making a lush, sweet espresso with milk chocolate notes and stone fruit.
It’s ideal for milk based drinks, while lighter roasts are perfect for filter.
Any order placed on our website between Thursday 4th – Friday 19th August could contain a golden ticket!
If you’re a lucky recipient you’ll really need to hold onto this ticket as it’s your invitation to a really special event here @Silverskin HQ 🎊 🎉 🎈
