This coffee is a Gesha variety cultivated by Óscar Andrés Riascos Martínez at Granja Paraíso 92 in Piendamó, Cauca, Colombia at 1900 meters altitude. It is a washed coffee harvested in January 2025. The cup presents intensely floral notes with flavors of stewed plum, herbaceous undertones, and apricot, creating a bright, complex, and juicy profile. Oscar Riascos won "best coffee in Cauca" in late 2024 with this lot, produced in collaboration with Wilton Benitez at their innovative processing facilities.
Kiss the Hippo launched in 2018 as London's first carbon negative coffee roastery. Every coffee they sell is certified organic by the Soil Association and certified carbon negative, with reforestation projects in Colombia, Madagascar, Zambia, and Nepal through a partnership with Swiss nonprofit On A Mission. They pay farmers at least 50% above Fair Trade prices, often double. The roastery has won the UK Barista Championships three times, with victories by Joshua Tarlo in 2018, Paul Ross in 2019, and Paul Ross again in 2020 and now supplies seven London café locations. Sustainability extends to fully compostable pods, recyclable packaging, a Living Wage commitment, and a partnership with bio bean that turns used grounds into biofuels.
