When Andy wrote the article “A nod to Cape Town coffee,” I was excited to read his experience of specialty coffee in South Africa, the very place he’s grown up in. His exact words — “Rosetta Roastery has for years been synonymous with the best of what Cape Town has to offer the global specialty coffee industry.”

Last year, the Financial Times listed Rosetta Roastery as one of The Best Independent Coffeeshops in the World and won the Coffee Magazine's "South African Coffee Roastery of the Year" in 2018 and 2019.

A thoughtful gift upon Andy’s return — coffee, what else? Now that Rosetta Roastery’s credentials have been established, let me gather my thoughts about how good the coffee is:

Peerless Estate - Nyeri, Kenya

Hard to imagine that this coffee has gone through an extended fermentation process of 80 hours, passed through a de-pulper and washed. Unlike a traditional Kenyan, the brightness is still present with an added layer of complexity.

Third generation Kugutas are running the show at Peerless, and I am all in for this fresh approach of employing novel fermentation processes to create a unique expression of a traditional Kenyan coffee.

There’s a lot going on with this coffee, the aromatics are equivalent to sensory fireworks the moment you open the bag to the point you swirl the decanter ready to pour the finished brew. It’s an absolute treat and I personally enjoy brewing this on the Hario V60.

Fazenda Passeio, Brazil

If you follow Andy on his various accounts, he often posts about the coffee he brews at home. They are almost always a Brazil, which I think could be his favorite origin. I could never understand why one would brew this origin on a pourover.

There were two instances I thought otherwise. Drinking a Brazilian Geisha at the World of Coffee Dubai and the second is this coffee. The aromas are out there: chocolate and caramel with a hint of boldness to it.

The notes are balanced when brewed on a flat bottom Simplify, heavier body compared to the Kenya above, and the delicate melon notes in the background add to the delectable characteristic of the coffee.

The producer’s hard work does not go unnoticed with this coffee. In fact, you can taste the time, effort and cost to maintain quality on his farm. Adolfo Vieira Ferreira, fourth-generation coffee farmer, takes the extra care to handpick ripe cherries and process in their own facilities.

Frinsa Washed 2021/22, Indonesia

What started off as a project over a decade ago with quality and innovation being the prime focus, Wildan from Frinsa Estate continues to uphold the same with excellence raising the bar of Indonesian coffee to levels never seen before.

Washed process in Indonesia is different to other origins mainly because of the ever-humid conditions. Wildan’s coffee is wet-hulled, dry fermented, soaked and washed. Every step in the process is monitored to make sure a clean, consistent experience is delivered with every brew. I personally enjoy brewing this coffee on a Mokapot, the heavy body add to the crisp flavor notes.