Curated/Reviewed by Matthew A. McIntosh
Public Historian
Brewminate
Overview
I’ve been looking at some beans from Third Wave Coffee Roasters in the United Kingdom. Unfortunately, their beans are not available to order in the United States – or anywhere else from what I can tell. It’s unfortunate because their own description of their roasts is actually right on target!
Companies often hype their products for sale by using hyperbole and colorful metaphors. Not these folks! These beans are really amazing.
I can’t say it better than them, so below is a run-down of their roasts from their website.
The Idea
Third Wave Coffee Roasters is the beginning of the fulfilment of my passion to source, roast and supply the best coffees the world has to offer.
Previously an office boy, I quickly became fed up with the bland, passionless drinks of the ‘big names’ on the high street, and found myself in pursuit of the independent ‘third wave’ coffee scene.
This resulted in a global search, which isn’t ending anytime soon, to places across the world from London to New Orleans, Iceland to South Africa (albeit while on holiday) and many others in between to experience the speciality coffee movement.
In early 2016 came the culmination of this passion and the founding of Third Wave Coffee Roasters. This was my leap of faith in order to share my love for coffee with the world.
Small Batch Roasting
Here at Third Wave micro-roastery we are dedicated to providing you with freshly roasted 100% Arabica speciality beans from around the world.
Our coffee is roasted in small batches, on our 2kg Coffee-Tech Pro-Lab roaster, enabling us to give each roast the care and attention that is required at the same time as producing perfectly roasted beans.
By roasting in the light to medium range, we are able to allow the distinct characteristics of each bean to develop and control the final taste in the cup. This also stops the bitter, harsh burnt taste that the majority of people have traditionally associated with coffee. Instead we are able to bring out a wide variety of tasting notes from floral and fruity to chocolatey and nutty.
Tailor Made
All of our coffees are roasted to order, allowing us to tailor them to your specific needs. Whether you prefer single origins or blends, filter brewed or espresso based drinks we have the perfect beans for your taste. We are also able to grind as fine or coarse as you need to suit your brewing method.
We don’t believe in roasting all beans in the same way, so we adjust the roast profile in order to bring out the individual qualities each coffee has to offer.
Our focus will always be on the sustainability, seasonality and quality of each and every bean. To do this we work closely with our suppliers to make sure you can have amazing, ethically sourced beans delivered straight to your door.
In order to evaluate each coffee profile we undertake regular cupping sessions to compare and contrast each roast whilst ensuring we are providing the highest quality you expect.
The Roasts
China – Kaku
Tasting notes: Granny Smith, Butterscotch
Citrus Region: Yunnan
Altitude: 1,600m
Process: Washed
Varietals: Catimor
Cup Score: 84.5
Indonesia – Bener Meriah
Tasting notes: Raspberry, Tamarind, Dark Chocolate
Region: Aceh, Sumatra
Altitude: 1,450m
Process: Giling Basah
Varietals: Tim Tim
Cup Score: 84.5
Myanmar – Pha Yar Gyi Kone
Tasting notes: Strawberry, Blackberry, Vanilla
Region: Ywangan, Shan State
Altitude: 1,300m
Process: Natural
Varietals: Red Catuai
Cup Score: 85.0
Rwanda – Bwishaza (Dry Fermentation)
Tasting notes: Orange, Grapefruit, Juicy
Region: Rutsiro, Western Province
Altitude: 2,000m
Process: Dry Fermentation
Varietals: Red Bourbon
Cup Score: 87
Honduras – San Isidro
Tasting notes: Stone Fruit, Orange, Spices
Region: Corquin, Copan
Altitude: 1,200m
Process: Macerated Natural
Varietals: Red Catuai & Lempira
Cup Score: 86.5
Availability
Those of you in the United Kingdom can take advantage of these roasts in 250g and 1kg sizes.
Grinds include whole bean, espresso, stove top, Aeropress, pour over, Chemex, and French press.