About this Coffee
This instant coffee is designed to capture the beloved flavors of our summertime blend, without the bitterness typically associated with instant.
5% of sales go directly to Belift Green Beans in Java to fund the construction of solar coffee dryers to increase consistency and quality, acting as a model for other drying stations in the area.
COOPERATIVA DE SERVICIOS MÚLTIPLES SACACLÍ (NICARAGUA)
SMALLHOLDER FARMERS (THAILAND)
POKMAS WALIDA COOPERATIVE (JAVA)
This year’s Golden Hour blend is built around a coffee produced by members of the Pokmas Walida Cooperative, located in Tlogosari Village, which lies in the shadows of Mount Argopuro in East Java, Indonesia. Unlike the most familiar Indonesian coffee producing island of Sumatra, which is known for its polarizing wet-hulled coffees, coffee producers in Java have historically used the washed method to process their coffee. However, this lot was processed using the natural, or dry method, where the coffee cherries are left to dry on the beans fully intact. The result is an intensely fruity coffee that gives this iteration of Golden Hour its characteristic berry-like flavors.
We then added a vibrant, fully washed coffee from Kenya that was produced by smallholder farmers in the Nyeri and Kirinyaga regions on the slopes of Mt. Kenya. This type is called Lenana, which Equator has been sourcing for many years. Point Lenana is one of Mt. Kenya’s highest peaks and is the inspiration behind the coffee’s name. With ideal growing conditions, high quality varieties, and well-executed processing methods, it’s no coincidence some of the world’s best coffee comes from Kenya. Our partners at Taylor Winch Coffee in Nairobi choose specific lots and blend them together in order to achieve a particular flavor profile for this Lenana type. The coffee’s sparkling acidity helps to bring out the flavors of the blend’s other component coffees.
We finished the blend with a coffee produced in the Comayagua region of Central Honduras. Comayagua is one of the areas in Honduras where coffee was first cultivated, and because of its optimal climate, rich soil, and dedicated producers, it remains one of the most productive in the country. This coffee contributes a silky body to Golden Hour, and its deep sweetness and subtle nutty tones bring balance to the blend’s more assertive components.
WHY WE LOVE THIS COFFEE
The Golden Hour is magical. A moment to reflect, appreciate, and begin again. A celebrated time of day to anchor in gratitude and take in the sunrise and sunset.
Golden Hour is a seasonal blend that gives us the opportunity to take single-origin coffees we enjoy on their own and combine them in unique ways to create something delicious! Golden Hour is offered each year during the extended summer months from July-October, so be sure to get it while it lasts!
This year, the Equator roasting team focused on highlighting coffee from Java for the Golden Hour roasting competition. The winning roast profile was crafted by Associate Roaster, Joel Lohner, and is composed of the hero coffee from Java, as well as coffee from Kenya and Honduras. Joel tested several iterations before landing on his final roast profile, which boasts fruit-forward flavors of fresh strawberry, berry cobbler, and chocolate croissant. “I was excited to craft a blend with a Javanese coffee as the hero component. To be able to reflect the flavors of such a beautiful region well known for its legacy in coffee was an exciting challenge.”
GOOD COFFEE, BETTER PLANET
For this summer’s Golden Hour Blend, we sourced a core component from the island of Java in partnership with Belift Green Beans. Belift is a group of next-generation Indonesian coffee professionals committed to developing the quality and sustainability of Indonesian coffee. 5% of sales from this blend will go directly to fund the construction of a solar coffee dryer to increase consistency and quality, acting as a model for other drying stations in the area.