Over the past couple months I’ve picked up some truly unique bags of coffee, each with its own story, process, and tasting profile. I wanted to catalogue them here—not just as a record of what I’m drinking, but also as a way to reflect on how diverse and experimental the coffee world has become. From co-ferments that taste like fruit candy to carefully processed Geshas, this little collection feels like a tour through farms and roasters who treat coffee like art.
Deiro Garcia, Colombia | Finca Lord Voldemort Ombligon | Moonwake
Moonwake Coffee Roasters’ Finca Lord Voldemort Ombligon from Colombia
| Parameter | Details |
|---|---|
| Roaster | Moonwake Coffee Roasters |
| Farmer | Deiro Garcia |
| Origin | Colombia |
| Variety | Ombligon |
| Process | Watermelon + yeast anaerobic |
| Roaster’s Notes | Crown Melon, Melona Bar, Cantaloupe |
| Roast | Light |
| Weight | 8 oz / 227 g |
| Roast Date | 07/21/25 |
| Recommended Rest | 2–3 weeks before brewing |
| Other | Expression | Exploratory line |
Finca Lord Voldemort is one of the most delicious, farthest-from-typical-coffee coffees I’ve ever had. In fact, I’ve come to enjoy it even more than Watermelon Patch because of how much better balanced the other notes are. For me, those notes show up vividly as cantaloupe/muskmelon, watermelon, and vanilla. The “coffee” is there, but it plays as part of the ensemble rather than the main character.
It’s the only coffee I bought two bags of, and the one I kept returning to at Moonwake, dialing in their recipe each time. Everyone I’ve brewed it for has been blown away as well.
And speaking of Moonwake—it’s the right time to call them out! After multiple visits and chats with Ming and others on their team, I’ve been deeply impressed by their attention to detail and fearless experimentation. They always have 5–6 coffees available for pour-over, each with a carefully tuned recipe. Ming showed me one of their brewers that they figured tends to have air-locks, so they cut a ridge using a lathe to imrove its performance. But what really sets them apart is their willingness to bring the hacking culture of Silicon Valley into coffee.
Their water system is every nerd’s dream:
- City water is first RO’d down to ~10ppm.
- A Raspberry Pi–controlled valve system (feeding into a Grafana dashboard) blends back city water to stabilize at ~30ppm.
- This stabilized water feeds two lines—one for the espresso machine, another for the pour-over taps.
- Under each counter, a custom mineral concentrate is mixed in, specific to the beans being brewed (espresso or pour-over).
- Raspberry Pi controllers adjust in real time to hit target concentrations of magnesium, calcium, and potassium.
All of it is monitored and logged—a true coffee-nerd setup.
If you want to see it in action, watch this fantastic video by Bryan Quan talking with Ming from Moonwake about the system.
Huehuetenango, Guatemala | James Hoffmann Profile | Coffee & Water Lab
Coffee & Water Lab’s James Hoffmann washed coffee from Guatemala
| Parameter | Details |
|---|---|
| Roaster | Coffee & Water Lab |
| Origin | Guatemala, Huehuetenango |
| Process | Washed |
| Roaster’s Notes | Honey, Caramelized Brown Sugar, Cherry |
| Altitude | 1400–1600 MASL |
| Weight | 12 oz / 340 g |
| Roast Date | 07/07 |
| Price | $23.99 |
| Other | Single origin, roasted in-store |
I haven’t tried this coffee yet, as of this writing. Coffee & Water Lab roasts on a Bellwether Coffee Roaster, a machine with a distinct presence anywhere it goes. It’s a modern system that offers complete control over roast profiles—temperature curves, even the second derivative of temperature—while aiming to automate the process without losing customization. The roaster immediately stood out to me because I remembered seeing James Hoffmann’s video where he roasted on a Bellwether out in the desert. You can watch that video here and more details here.
To my surprise—and unrelated to that video—Coffee & Water Lab was also offering a limited edition James Hoffmann profile Guatemalan roast. Naturally, I had to pick up a bag.
Jose Luis Sidra of Hacienda Santa Gertrudis, Loja, Ecuador | Hydrangea
Hydrangea Coffee Roasters’ Jose Luis Sidra from Ecuador
| Parameter | Details |
|---|---|
| Roaster | Hydrangea Coffee Roasters (Berkeley, CA) |
| Farmer | José Luis Eguiguren |
| Farm | Hacienda Santa Gertrudis |
| Origin | Loja, Ecuador |
| Variety | Sidra |
| Process | Double Ferment Washed |
| Roaster’s Notes | Quince, Rambutan, Honey |
| Weight | 4 oz / 114 g |
| Roast Date | 05/18/25 |
I first discovered Hydrangea Coffee at a coffee omakase experience in San Francisco called Komakase. It was a small, intimate gathering where the baristas brewed 3–4 coffees for us, paired with thoughtful snacks, while carrying on open-ended conversations about what was being served.
That’s where I tried Hydrangea for the first time—and it was unforgettable. They had a funky, fruit-forward variety that tasted incredible. I bought a bag of it on the spot: a light roast Sidra with delicate notes of lychee and honey. Sidra as a variety is known for its elegance and subtlety, and this roast captured that beautifully.
Hydrangea, in general, has a reputation for being adventurous and fruit-driven. Their coffees are roasted fresh each week at CoRo in Berkeley (see below), adding to the city’s vibrant community roasting scene.
Edwin “El Alquimista” Noreña’s Microlot from Quindío, Colombia | Watermelon Patch | Coffee & Water Lab
Coffee & Water Lab’s Watermelon Patch co-ferment from Colombia
| Parameter | Details |
|---|---|
| Roaster | Coffee & Water Lab (Limited Edition Micro-Lot Series by Edwin Noreña) |
| Origin | Colombia, Quindío |
| Process | Co-ferment |
| Roaster’s Notes | Watermelon Jolly Rancher, Strawberry, Hibiscus |
| Altitude | 1650 MASL |
| Weight | 12 oz / 340 g |
| Roast Date | 07/09 |
| Price | $44.99 |
| Other | Single origin, roasted in-store |
When I first tried this coffee at Coffee & Water Lab in San Jose, I was blown away. This was one my first coferments. I’d already been brewing and exploring light roasts that leaned fruity, floral, and as far from traditional coffee taste as possible—but Watermelon Patch took it even further. The fruit flavors were so vivid, with the typical coffee notes sitting subtly in the background. I had to buy a bag for myself, despite the excruciating price.
Arley Vargas, La Piragua Farm, Huila, Colombia | CoRo
CoRo Coffee’s La Piragua Pink Bourbon from Colombia
| Parameter | Details |
|---|---|
| Roaster | CoRo Coffee (Berkeley, CA) |
| Farm | La Piragua Farm |
| Producer | Arley Vargas |
| Origin | Colombia, Huila (Town: Palestina) |
| Variety | Pink Bourbon |
| Process | Washed |
| Roaster’s Notes | Pineapple, Lime, Mango, Marzipan |
| Weight | 12 oz / 340 g |
| Other | Packaging artwork by Raquel ([email protected]) |
I visited CoRo in Berkeley one late evening, just before closing, after missing lunch by a few minutes at the famous Egyptian food truck nearby. CoRo has a fascinating business model: they run a shared roasting space where a community of roasters can come in and roast alongside them. In fact, Hydrangea Coffee (see above) roasts here every week!
The folks at the shop were some of the sweetest I’ve met. I grabbed a cold brew while I was there, and it had real character—unique, bold, and thoroughly enjoyable. I’ve yet to brew the beans I picked up that day, but I’m looking forward to it.
Wilton Benitez, Colombia | Granja Paraiso 92 | Moonwake
Moonwake Coffee Roasters’ Granja Paraiso 92 Gesha from Colombia
| Parameter | Details |
|---|---|
| Roaster | Moonwake Coffee Roasters |
| Farmer | Wilton Benitez |
| Origin | Colombia |
| Variety | Gesha |
| Process | Washed |
| Notes | Honeysuckle, Meyer Lemon, Nectarine, Tangerine |
| Roaster’s Roast | Light |
| Weight | 8 oz / 227 g |
| Roast Date | 07/18/25 |
| Recommended Rest | 4–6 weeks before brewing |
| Other | Expression | Fruit-forward line |
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What I love about this set is how it captures both tradition and experimentation. Some roasters lean into clean washed processes that highlight terroir, while others push into co-ferments and anaerobic methods that make coffee taste like fruit candy or tropical cocktails.
For me, cataloguing them is a way of slowing down—turning what could be just another bag of beans into a record of taste, craft, and memory. Each brew is a chance to taste the choices of farmers, roasters, and nature itself, distilled into a cup.