Muyu Coffee Roasters

21/06/2023

NANOLOTS, MICROLOTS, MACROLOTS, WHAT SHOULD IT MEAN TO ME?

There are lots of technical terms you hear throwing around in , so lets dive into lot sizes and why you might want to care how traceable your coffee is! 😊

are lots bought by bigger roasters, where different producers need to aggregate their coffees in order to fulfill those big orders. Often these come from cooperatives whose members grow coffee in a certain community/region. Mixing these coffees means that you get an enjoyable and balanced cup profile but you’ll lose the more interesting characteristics of smaller lots.

are fully traceable to a very specific lot of terrain inside the property of a finca. The unique mix of microclimate, soil and vegetation is like a fingerprint of the coffee and gives each microlot its very own, recognizable taste. Many times, each microlot has a single variety that is grown on it, making it easier to keep its purity during harvest season. Even lots that only lie few walking steps apart from each other can have completely different cup profiles, although being of the same variety.

are either specific subareas of a certain microlot or specific batches that are processed separately from the rest. For example, the microlot Rosario from is divided into 3 parts depending on elevation. On the lower grounds the Iapar is grown, while the middle is planted with the higher quality Caturra variety and the highest part of the lot is reserved for the most exclusive Geisha, thus taking full advantage of the drivers elevation and variety.

As small, origin driven roasters, we love to work with nanolots and microlots. Getting to know these coffees extremely well over the years, we are in the lucky position of being able to highlight the strong nuances that set every lot apart from the others. Before profiling a batch of coffee, a roaster needs to know where the journey goes and which flavors & textures to uncover. Lacking this deeper knowledge coming from origin, we would roast blind, resulting in a nice, clean & balanced cup but that unfortunately will come short of its intrinsic character.

09/11/2022

When looking into getting started on your incredibly fulfilling journey of preparing specialty coffee at home, we often see us confronted with thousands of equipment reviews on which espresso machine to choose over another one. We've been there, and it's madness even for professionals like us. So, we wrote this somewhat unusual guide to help you gain clarity before anything else!

When looking into getting started on your incredibly fulfilling journey of preparing specialty coffee at home, we often see us confronted with thousands of equipment reviews on which espresso machine to choose over another one. We've been there, and it's madness even for professionals like us. So, w

18/09/2022

YELLOW AND GREEN BAGS, WHATS THE DIFFERENCE?

You might have noticed that our coffees come either in a yellow or in a green bag, but what sets them apart? The short answer: green bean !

Working directly with our producers since a very early stage in coffee production, we only source nano and microlots scoring at least 85 points out of 100 of the SCA grading system. While coffee is considered specialty grade starting at 80 points, we believe that from 80 to 84 points, although being good coffees, they lack in interest and complexity. The beans we source after thorough quality controls at origin, range from 85 to 92 points and represent some of the very best produces and most of these coffees or producers have reached the final stage of the yearly national auctions in the past. Of course, 85 to 92 points is still a very wide spread in quality for the coffee enthusiast, and that’s why we split them further through the of our bags:

YELLOW BAG: this is a coffee ranging from 85 to 88 points, meaning that it is a very good specialty coffee that has an above average complexity, nice balance between acidity, sweetness and bitterness, and is a great pleasure to drink anytime!

GREEN BAG: these are unique coffees scoring above 88 up until 92 points and are the crème de la crème of coffees coming out of Bolivia! These are excellent to extraordinary beans that regularly win awards in the national auctions and can easily compete with the best coffees from any well known origin or Finca.

All our coffees, both in green and yellow bags, can be traced to a single or and showcase a very unique combination of variety, processing method and terroir. Bolivia is not a common in the specialty coffee market as, while of excellent quality when done right, the production volume is still very low due to a number of limiting factors. This also means, that most of the batches we source (and some are only 20kg), are exclusively available through us, worldwide - either at MUYU or through our sister roastery at origin, .

🛒 If you’d like to explore what lots we have available at the moment, follow our link in bio! 😊

16/09/2022

V-SHAPED VS. FLAT BOTTOM BREWER

When it comes to brewing , you usually get to choose between a v-shaped cone filter such as the , , brewista tornado or a flat-bottom filter stile used in the , , .

But which one should you choose based on your preference?
Broadly speaking, when comparing the same coffee, cone filters translate into cups with more , while flat-bottom brewers get you and a richer .

Should you use different brewer styles with different processing methods or sensory profiles?
Intuitively we tend to grab a v-shaped brewer when brewing washed coffees that have any sort of acidity in them that we like to highlight, for example citrus fruits, plum, green apple, berries, pine apple and so on. We also tend to use cone shaped filters when we want to highlight delicate flavors such as florals. On the contrary, with naturals and honeys we generally go for a flat bottom brewer to highlight sweeter notes such as peaches, red apples, mango, banana, strawberries among others or even milk chocolate, caramel, maple syrup, cane sugar.

Is it always this straightforward?
No. Coffee taste is subjective and everyone needs to find its personal preference, that’s why we offer you both versions to choose from in our shop in before investing in your own equipment! We are happy to guide you in your sensory journey as to find both your favorite varieties, processing methods and based on those the best equipment for your !

Is there a difference based on skill level?
Yes! Cone shaped require much more control in your and proper dialed in making it slightly more challenging to get the perfect cup out of them! Flat-bottom brewers are usually more forgiving and even with easy recipes you can achieve great results if the you’re using is of the right quality. In our store, you can get hands on and brew your own coffee with a little guidance from us, just to perfect your technique!

Not able to visit us? You can also find our favorite for both styles of brewers on our webpage (link in bio)!

01/09/2022

GEISHA ROSARIO WASHED - Filter

This stunning washed Geisha, coming from the higher grounds of the Rosario microlot and roasted for FILTER brews, is one of the highest graded coffees we sourced from the 2021 harvest. While the cup is incredibly clean and delicate, it highlights some intense notes, sweet , fresh , elegant and lingers pleasantly with a creamy finish. A truly special bean - representing the quintessence of the Geisha variety - to be enjoyed fully and without distractions.

Variety:
Process: (slowed down fermentation)
Producer:
Microlot: Rosario
Location: Loayza, Caranavi Province,
Elevation: 1700 masl

Net weight: 250 grams
Roasted for: Filter

🛒 Now available in our online shop!

25/08/2022

CATURRA ROSARIO NATURAL - Espresso & Filter Roast

This coffee will surprise you with a very peculiar and uncommon flavor profile that we never tasted before: intense strawberry and apple, followed by tamarind and green olive, leaving us with a round unctuous mouthful reminding us somewhat of a Martini! We put much effort into roasting this coffee both for filter and espresso for you to enjoy it either way.

Variety: Yellow, Red & Orange
Process:
Producer:
Microlot: Rosario
Location: Loayza, Caranavi Province,
Elevation: 1700 masl

Net weight: 250 grams
Roasted for: &

🛒 Now available in our online store and our roastery in

21/08/2022

CULTURA DEL CAFFÈ

In questa nuova serie, vi racconteremo le nozioni basilari per conoscere una bevanda che consumiamo tutti giorni, eppure del quale sappiamo così poco. Siamo convinti che attraverso la valorizzazione di piccole gioie quotidiane come una tazzina di un caffè di qualità, possiamo goderci una vita più piena, consapevole e gratificante!

Se avete richieste particolari su temi da trattare fatecelo sapere, li includiamo volentieri in questo viaggio alla scoperta del chicco di caffè!

🎨

16/08/2022

EN - When roasting and tasting for we look into several characteristics we absolutely want to find in the cup: nicely striped and persistent crema, intense aroma, velvety body, tons of sweet notes and a perfect balance between elegant acidity and muted bitterness, a lively and complex personality and a pleasant lasting aftertaste.

IT - Durante la tostatura e la degustazione dell'espresso esaminiamo alcune caratteristiche che vogliamo assolutamente ritrovare nella tazzina: crema tigrata e persistente, aroma intenso, corpo vellutato, tonnellate di note dolci e un perfetto equilibrio tra acidità elegante e amarezza ridotta, un sapore vivace e personalità complessa e un piacevole retrogusto persistente.

DE - Beim Rösten und Verkosten von Espresso achten wir auf mehrere Eigenschaften, die wir unbedingt in der Tasse finden wollen: schön gestreifte und anhaltende Crema, intensives Aroma, samtiger Körper, tonnenweise süße Noten und eine perfekte Balance zwischen eleganter Säure und kontrollierter Bitterkeit, ein lebendiger und komplexe Persönlichkeit und ein angenehm anhaltender Nachgeschmack.

FR - Lors de la torréfaction et de la dégustation d'un expresso, nous examinons plusieurs caractéristiques que nous voulons absolument retrouver dans la tasse : une crème bien striée et persistante, un arôme intense, un corps velouté, des tonnes de notes sucrées et un équilibre parfait entre une acidité élégante et l'amertume réduit, un goût vif et personnalité complexe et un arrière-goût agréable et durable.

ES - Al tostar y degustar espresso, buscamos varias características que definitivamente queremos encontrar en la taza: crema estriada y persistente, aroma intenso, cuerpo aterciopelado, toneladas de notas dulces y un equilibrio perfecto entre acidez elegante y amargura controlada, una personalidad vibrante y compleja y un resabio agradable y duradero.

07/08/2022

BORN AT ORIGIN

Not only was half of our (intercontinental) team born in , but our first roastery originally opened there too, before expanding to , enabling us to celebrate our close ties between both countries. Bundling our sourcing program with our sister company there in , enables us to offer very unique coffees directly from small, family owned producers who we support in an ongoing, project-based approach that inspires constant improvement and capacity-building, and results in quality-driven, sustainable coffee production. We only seek beans that stand out from the crowd, with each having a distinctive flavor profile covering some of the most surprising and satisfying notes that Bolivia’s coffee can offer.

31/07/2022

NEW TO BOLIVIAN SPECIALTY COFFEE? 🇧🇴

Bolivia is a widely unknown and challenging origin from which to source coffee, but nevertheless an exciting one for specialty coffee aficionados. Its three main growing areas Caranavi, Chapare and Samaipata lie between the giant Andes mountains and the amazingly biodiverse Amazon basin at an elevation between 1400 and 2500 masl. The jungle-like flora and rich soil, combined with high elevations and especially favorable microclimates, allows the beans to develop their characteristic sweet, bright and clean profile, with elegant acidity and desirable complexity. And with an ever-expanding array of interesting coffee bean processing techniques and expertise being built-out, it’s become a particularly dynamic time to get to know .

Curious? Check out our currently available Bolivian specialty coffee beans in our online store! Link in bio.

Have a nice Sunday! 😊

28/07/2022

Read our latest blog post on the benefits of ! Spoiler: we’re not the only ones needing shade during these hot days…

Exploring how shade grown coffee make farms more resilient to climate change and secure the investments of small farmers in their livelihoods.