Out of all the specialty coffee & tea cupped over the past few months, our traders rounded up their favorites. From washed and organic coffee to herbal teas and more! Check out their picks for the best green coffee and tea of Q4 2023!

Coffee Picks

Coffee from Brazil

This coffee comes from a collection of small, family-owned farms called sitios in the mountains of Sul de Minas (Southern Minas Gerais). Due to the topography of this area, coffee trees require more attention and care than most of Brazil. However, the extra effort results in a significantly richer and more fruit-forward cup profile than your typical Brazilian coffee.

Year after year, this coffee is consistently a favorite of mine. It’s rich, sweet, smooth, and just fruity enough to balance an otherwise heavy cup profile. This brew is an easy drinker and a go-to morning coffee for me!

Evan’s Pick Coming Soon: RNY # 54719 Brazil Natural Legender Especial

Coffee from Colombia

This coffee comes from south of Huila, in the town of Suaza, where Don Hector Zuniga created this cutting-edge vertically integrated farm. Fueled by his intellectual curiosity and desire to improve, La Suiza has become one of gems in Colombia. On La Suiza, Don Hector has drying patios with parabolic coverage, cable cars to move the coffee, water-efficient fermentation tanks, and a lot of pulls and levers! All of this and more has allowed him to be labor- and cost-efficient while still focusing on quality at every step of the process.

In this coffee, you’ll find a sweet cup with notes of orange, cherry, and caramel. Give Finca La Suiza a try!

Shop Camilo’s Pick: RNY # 55580 Colombia Huila “La Suiza” Estate – Excelso

Do you like washed coffees that are clean, sweet, bright yet balanced, with a dynamic complexity that can handle any roast level and still show up in the cup? Then buy and enjoy this Nariño micro lot from Darwin Lopez! Darwin is a 34-year-old coffee producer from Las Cochitas who has devoted himself to specialty coffee. He helps his father with innovative fermentation practices and works closely with the Pergamino lab in Buesaco to receive feedback from their experiments and trials.

If this coffee sells out, just pick a different one! Nariño is my favorite growing region in the world, and all of our micro lot offerings from our “Producer Alliance” program are great.

Shop Andrew’s Pick: RNY # 55328 Colombia Nariño Excelso – Darwin Lopez

Coffee from DR Congo

You know it’s a special lot when two traders pick the same coffee! Don’t miss out on Signe and Mike’s pick from the Democratic Republic of the Congo!

The Nyamasasa washing station is comprised of around 1,930 contributing farmers. On average, they each grow cherry on 1/3 hectare of land. Many of these farmers have been affected by the civil war, and their communities have been divided. However, with combined strength and a common goal, these farmers have worked together to produce high quality coffee that has built great futures for their communities.

We’ve all been loving this coffee in the office. It’s sweet, and the combination of softer fruit and floral notes balances the acidity, so it’s pleasant without being overpowering. This coffee is great for any time of the day!

I am a huge fan of our current DR Congo offering. It’s the first coffee we’ve had from this country in a number of years, and it’s just awesome. In the cup I get notes of candied lime, oolong tea, and ripe pear. This coffee is especially interesting because it can hold its own as a light roast due partly to its vibrant acidity. That being said, it can also work really well when pushed a little deeper into the roast because of its syrupy body. Overall, I’m very happy with this coffee and hope we can bring more in next year!

Shop Signe & Mike’s Pick: RNY # 54376 DR Congo Fully Washed Kivu Nyamasasa Washing Station

Coffee from Guatemala

Located in the beautiful mountains of Huehuetenango, this coffee comes from Cooperativa Rio Azul. In March 2020, I was introduced to Q’anil on a cupping table during my visit to Guatemala. The profile had this bright combination of citrus notes with creamy and sweet notes of caramel and chocolate. Since trying it at origin, Q’anil has become one of our staple Guatemalan coffees and is consistently excellent. Perfect as a morning or afternoon cup of coffee, it can both stand alone as a single origin offering and enhance a blend. Give it a try, and let me know your thoughts on this coffee!

Shop Rick’s Pick: RNY # 54178 Guatemala SHB Huehuetenango Q’anil

Coffee from Kenya

Kenya AA Nyeri Othaya Kamoini is a beautiful washed offering processed at the Kamoini wet mill in Central Kenya. Kamoini wet mill is one of 18 factories owned by the Othaya Farmers Cooperative Society. The wet mill is operated by small-scale farmers who average just 0.5-acre farms. Located in Nyeri County, this coffee is grown at an altitude of 1824 meters above sea level.

This offering shows notes of strawberry, lemongrass, and wine, along with crisp acidity and a sweet, clean finish. It translates to a cohesive cup when using any pour over method! A solid addition to any menu, this coffee is featured on our Royal NY Line Up.

Shop Mike’s Pick: RNY # 55241 Kenya AA Nyeri Othaya Kamoini

Organic Coffee Picks

Organic Coffee from Bali

This organic coffee comes to us from the Kintamani highlands, where most coffee in Bali is grown. The highlands sit atop a large volcanic plateau between 1,300–1,700 meters above sea level. In this area, coffee tree varieties primarily include Bourbon and Typica, though there are also shade trees such as Erythrina, Albizia, tangerine, and orange.

Most coffees from the South Pacific tend to be wet hulled. Since this lot is naturally processed, it results in a more fruit-forward and sweet profile. The cup is full of sweet berries and stone fruit and finishes with notes of sugary watermelon.

James’ Pick Coming Soon: RNY # 55440 Organic Bali Kintamani Natural

Organic Coffee from Java

I’ve enjoyed this coffee over the years because it doesn’t taste like your traditional, wet hulled Indonesian coffee. When I say traditional, I think of heavy cedar, forest, real earthy flavors, as well tobacco and musty tones that you sometimes see in coffees from neighboring Sumatra. Overall, this organic coffee brings a sweeter, cleaner, and more chocolatey profile, with subtle notes of spices like pepper and cedar. At a lighter roast profile, a hint of vanilla bean and licorice notes come through as well.

Since meeting the members of Koperasi Serba Usaha a few weeks ago, I’ve developed a stronger emotional attachment to this coffee. They are so involved and invested in producing coffee! In many places, we’ve noticed how the younger generations don’t have a lot of interest in following the family tradition of growing coffee. Contrarily, at this cooperative, we see 1st generation coffee producers realizing that they actually enjoy the entrepreneurial aspect of starting their own business through growing coffee. Young producers like being part of a group that cares not only about the quality of coffee, but about the people themselves. If you’ve never tried a coffee from Java, give this one try; I don’t think you’ll regret it.

Shop Joe’s Pick: RNY # 54752 Organic Java Taman Dadar Wet Hulled

Organic Coffee from Peru

Originating from Cajamarca, Peru, this coffee is grown by the COOPAFSI cooperative, an organization that’s been around since 1969. COOPAFSI is widely known for their emphasis on empowering and promoting women grown coffee. The women involved are consistently improving on and delivering quality coffee, and they’ve done a tremendous job doing so. We look forward to receiving their coffee every year!

My biggest takeaway from this organic coffee is its perfect balance of sweetness, body, and acidity. You’ll fine this coffee to have a smooth, silky, caramel-like mouthfeel and body with a nice chocolatey sweetness to accompany it. On the other end, there’s a citrusy-sweet acidity! It’s mellow enough that it won’t pucker your cheeks, yet present enough to even out the cup profile, giving it a perfect balance.

Shop TJ’s Pick: RNY # 54469 Organic Peru COOPAFSI “Las Damas de San Ignacio” Fair Trade

Tea Picks

One of the most famous teas from China, Dragonwell has integrated vegetal and chestnut flavors with notes of butter and honeysuckle. This offering is a classic green tea with nutty and earthy aromas and a smooth texture and mouthfeel. Altogether, this tea complements a relaxing evening and is a must have for any tea menu.

Shop Mike’s Pick: Dragonwell

Golden Yunnan is a black tea with one of the most interesting flavor profiles I’ve encountered in a while. It has both savory vegetal and sweet caramel notes. In a surprisingly good way, it also has notes of sweet potato, reminiscent of roasting the vegetable in the oven and having it caramelize. This makes for a really great, heavy body, while still being a wonderful morning drinker that is stellar with or without milk!

Shop Signe’s Pick: Golden Yunnan

What I notice most about Rosemary Bramble is its complex sweetness. I get a crisp apple with subtle tones of blackberry and mango, giving it a nice fruit-forwardness. Additionally, the herbal rosemary finish brings it all together, making for an extremely unique flavor profile. With a touch of cinnamon on the end, this tea is perfect for creating a warm, holiday feeling.

Shop TJ’s Pick: Rosemary Bramble

Organic Tea Picks

This is a new blend for us! Organic Chamomile Ginger is great to sip on after I’m done with my morning coffee. It’s caffeine-free and soothing on the sinuses, which is a bonus for me because winter air always makes me stuffy.

I love any blend with a kick to it, and this one is no different! It’s floral, sweet, and a bit spicy: the perfect cup for brewing up to sit back and relax.

Shop Caitlin’s Pick: Organic Chamomile Ginger

Lemon Myrtle actually isn’t a tea at all: it’s a southern Australian shrub! Its leaves can be added as ingredients for a tea blend or steeped alone for a tisane.

To say this tea has a ton of lemon on the nose would be an understatement. If it’s steeping, everyone around knows it! This herb has top notes of Meyer Lemon that are simultaneously bright and mellow, and it finishes with a candy-like sweetness.

Shop Evan’s Pick: Organic Lemon Myrtle

Our Organic Mao Feng has been my favorite for a long time. It has a comforting sweetness that tends to be an overall crowd pleaser. I find notes of dried apricot and raw honey in the cup. When making myself a cup of this tea, I typically use about 4 grams per 12 ounces of water to give it a bit more body and brew it using a Largo brewer. Coming from the coffee world, I look for a more pronounced cupping profile, so I like the increased dosage a lot! Spectacular when served hot or cold, Organic Mao Feng would work well in a café that serves food as it’s easy to pair with a variety of dishes.

Shop Mike’s Pick: Organic Mao Feng

Organic Turmeric Ginger is hands down my go-to daily drinker for fall and winter. The turmeric, ginger, and orange peel give me the immune boost I need during the cold months and help to sooth the sinuses as we turn on our heat in the northeast…and, it tastes great!

Shop Andrew’s Pick: Organic Turmeric Ginger

My wife and I have been drinking Organic Turmeric Ginger Sachets for quite some time. We enjoy this unique, hand-selected blend of organic ingredients. The tea leaves have a warming and invigorating taste on my palate, and I enjoy the health benefits of turmeric, including multiple vitamins and minerals.

This tea has a soothing effect, and it can be enjoyed hot or cold throughout the day, especially when you need a quiet moment to re-center and get back on task. I recommend that anyone looking for a soothing, balanced, and revitalizing tea should give this one a try. You will not be disappointed!

Shop Rick’s Pick: Organic Turmeric Ginger Sachets