Cup Nordic Approach

Why do we cup coffee?

Cupping is a tasting exercise. It is a way to evaluate and compare the characteristics of different coffees, and assess their potential.  Throughout the entire coffee process, cupping plays an important role in maintaining the product’s quality. Farmers, suppliers, importers, buyers, and roasters cup at several stages – but not always with the exact same mindset. At Nordic Approach, cupping is our primary tool. We cup in origin to start to identify new projects, microregions, Read more…

“Special preps” – reviewing concepts and some Salvadoran names

In recent years, experimental fermentation has been a growing trend in the specialty coffee industry, so we frequently see more terms like special preps, anaerobic, extended fermentation…. etc. These have been used to describe some special preparations – a more controlled and adventurous approach that allow us to create techniques for coffee flavour development and to enhance aromas, the acidity or balance of the sweetness of the coffee, amongst others.  That is why, in Nordic Read more…

Burtukanna Danche Rwanda

BURTUKAANA DANCHE #1 – coffee of the month – July

Burtukaana Danche #1 Burtukaana Danche #1 –   perfectly structured and sweet coffee with the counterpoint of delicate florals, that evokes the wonderful sweet taste of natural Ethiopian coffee.  Why does this coffee stands out? There has been an increased interest in this coffee in the Nordic countries (they like Burtukanna profiles), so we needed to talk about it this time.   Normally, washed coffee is the most popular among Ethiopian coffee lovers, but this one is Read more…

Bomba de Fruta: the story behind the concept

Over the years, we have developed a taste for fruit-loaded profiles, and we have noticed the same trend among roasters, as they have been asking us for more fruity wild notes and … why not? middling levels of funk! We became more creative and bold because of this, so we decided to include natural and cherry fermented coffees in our offer list from as many different producing countries as possible. This is how the Concept Read more…

Ethiopia Natural Vs Washed

Ethiopia: Natural Vs. Washed (Survey)

Loving Ethiopian coffee? Natural or washed? Today is all about coffee from Ethiopia  – Natural Vs washed.  Take this short survey and help us learn more about what the specialty coffee community prefers. Laster inn … Problems filling the survey Ethiopia: natural vs. washed? You can go directly here. Survey We have many post about Ethiopia and all its potential, how about if you check one more page, and if you want to learn everything about Read more…

Coffee Of The Month - Samii Bedessa 1

SAMII BEDESSA #1 – Coffee of the month – june

Samii Bedessa #1 Samii Bedessa – a coffee that reflects the mystical and captivating flavours of Ethiopia.    Why this coffee stands out? There is no doubt that Ethiopia takes coffee quality seriously, and Sammi Bedessa #1 proves that. The cupping score of 87.5 speaks for itself.  It is a washed coffee, so if you are looking for juicy coffees and rich flavour notes, you will surely like this one.  Every time this coffee is brewed, people Read more…

Intibuca Honduras coffee

Outstanding Central American coffee producers ➡️ Honduras and El Salvador

More than 10 years of exploring, tasting, and searching for the best coffee in the world led us to Central America, where we marveled at the amazing and diverse beans these countries are producing. So, of course, we also have in our offer list some truly outstanding coffee from El Salvador and Honduras.  These  two neighboring countries have a great deal to offer and very promising coffees, even though they have faced some challenges this Read more…

Coffee arrivals from Ethiopia

New arrivals from Ethiopia, uncover their potential

Once again, Ethiopia surprises us with amazing coffee, and finally we can say WE HAVE FRESH ARRIVALS FROM ETHIOPIA FOR YOU! To ensure  this long-awaited day, our team at Nordic Approach and our sister company, Tropiq, have followed a rigorous process to be able to present you this treat. Hence, yes! We are very excited to hear your thoughts on them! We have listed the cooperatives and washing stations because knowing the story behind our Read more…

Take a look at the 124 coffees we cupped in the Spring Cupping 2022

We closed April with our Spring Cupping 2022, where we cupped 124 coffees in total from different origins – Ethiopia, Honduras, El Salvador, Uganda, Kenya, and we couldn’t miss the opportunity to also show off some funky coffees from our collection.  Our colleagues also took us through each one of the origins during their presentations, so everybody could gain insight into the starting point of the supply chain in the coffee industry. We also discovered Read more…

Honduras 2022: harvest update and incoming coffees

It’s been a challenging year on the Honduran farms, but we have ensured our 2022 lots and it all looks promising! We have received the first preshiment samples for some of the Caballeros lots but there is more on its way. Here you go an overview so you can plan your coffees with your fav sales rep! Looking back: 2021/22 Harvest Due to different factors, volumes of Honduran coffees decreased by 30-40% this year. On Read more…

It’s Ethiopia season! Your 2022 coffees are on the way.

How can you tell that spring is coming? Sprouts, sunshine, rainy weather… and Ethiopian coffees! Our offer list just got a top-up with a bunch of options for your menu. Are you in need of inspiration or looking for a quick guide to all those fancy names? Then keep reading. Let’s Recap: 2021/22 Harvest The harvest this year started at the end of October and beginning of November in lower altitude areas and it is Read more…

The SPECIALTY coffee map in OSLO. Our 2023 recommendations meet every occasion.

It’s not about where to drink coffee but about the how. Scandinavians are true coffee lovers and that’s a fact. But where can you find the very best quality coffee in the Norwegian capital? Working in the coffee industry for over 10 years in the Nordic country gave us a fine overview of our favourite coffee shops and very unique and special spots in Oslo. But let’s go further than the classic “where to find Read more…

The unspoken treasures of Peruvian coffee. What do these coffees taste like?

Personally, I try to avoid restricting the taste profile of Peruvian coffee to only one definition, since we’re used to encountering so many different profiles… Enki SuarezQuality Coordinator, Tropiq Already well-recognized for its gastronomy, chocolate and landscapes, we’re more interested in sharing one of the other unspoken treasures of Peru. Of course, we’re talking about Peruvian coffee. This country has so much more to offer than it is often given credit for. With its longstanding Read more…

What can you expect from Peruvian coffees in 2021/22?

Our sourcing has focussed on three primary distinctions for coffee lot styles: microlots, cooperatives, and community lots. We have encountered 87+ cups and complex characteristics among all three. Ceviche, Pisco Sours, ayahuasca, and stunning coffees — yes, we are talking about Peru! We’ve done our best to get coffees shipped on time this season (though we can’t make any promises about our containers of ayahuasca). The producers started harvesting in July/August and many continued through Read more…

Rwanda 2021 | Looking back

It’s truly a pleasure tasting the finished roasts and thinking back at how they started in the early crop and tasting super fresh. I’m always amazed by what you roasters manage to pull out of it. Jamie Jongkind, Sales EU & Green Buyer January, before the harvest When I first started reaching out to the producers and farmers we work with in Rwanda back in February, all seemed very bright and hopeful. Gitesi was about Read more…

Colombia harvest update

It has been an exacting year in Colombia and for coffee producers across the country. The Colombian people have been grappling with changes in the climate of the country that have dramatic effects on agricultural products, and the coffee harvest has seen these effects.The internal market has seen the highest prices ever recorded by the Federacion Nacional de Cafeteros de Colombia (FNC) price offered to producers. Country-wide unrest followed by protests – which we have Read more…

How C Price volatility impacts coffee

You may have noticed a sharp increase in the C-market lately. The current situation in the coffee futures market is not unfamiliar to most of us who have been in the industry for some years. The implications beyond the current cost of coffee can be given less immediate thought but we believe can often have a more devastating long-term impact on our industry.  We would be remiss to not first discuss the backdrop to the Read more…

Indonesia 2021 | Funky Town

Indonesia was hit pretty hard by the pandemic in 2020 and sadly, after re-opening, they are now back in lockdown. Of course this has caused a lot of problems with harvesting and processing. Luckily, we have some pretty beautiful partners in Indonesia who have been rolling with the punches. Frinsa Estate Frinsa Estate was founded & run by Wildan, his wife Atieq and their son Fikri in Bandung south of Jakarta on the island of Read more…

We’re Hiring: Lab Intern

We are looking for someone who is ambitious and curious about coffee who would like to invest some of their time to learn with us, with the possibility of joining our team permanently. Duration: 6 months, with start preferably being in August, or early September 2021.  The internship is unpaid but we provide free accommodation and lunch on working days. You must be an EU/ EEA national, Norwegian resident, or have a visa that would Read more…

Uganda harvest update

Good day! I was lucky enough to travel to Uganda in April, taking every precaution and being tested ten times a day, or at least that’s what it felt like. What a beautiful journey through Uganda it was. There’s a good reason we took the calculated risk to travel. Firstly, since I will be taking over the buying for Nordic Approach’s Ugandan offers, it was important to meet our partner, Kingsley Griffin, from Kingha Estate Read more…