This decaffeinated blend features vibrant flavor notes throughout the cup. The fragrance offers a lively floral essence. Sweetness is prevalent with tart acidity that opens to apple and pink lemonade flavors. The finish includes honeyed oats and nougat with a plush mouthfeel. The coffee is processed using the Swiss Water Process, which involves soaking raw coffee in water to extract caffeine, then reintroducing the water and flavor back into the beans.
Nathan Wyss and Josh Magnani founded Contraband Coffee in San Francisco, opening their original Larkin Street location on Christmas Eve 2010. SF Weekly named it Best New Cafe in 2011, and a second San Francisco location followed in the SoMa district in 2017. Roasting takes place at a facility on 81st Avenue in Oakland, where a vintage Probat and custom built equipment allow each coffee to be approached with its own specific profile. The name carries through to the lineup, with blends like Black Market, Smuggler's Blend, and Sub Rosa alongside single origins from Ethiopia, Colombia, Guatemala, and Rwanda. Contraband sources exclusively through cooperatives, small farmers, and ethical organizations, refusing to work through middlemen.
