Winter Scoop

The name earned its keep the moment we first cupped this lot. Madagascan vanilla ice cream smoothness from the very first sip - then a slow warmth that moves through the cup like rum, settling into the depth of sun-dried raisins at the finish. Winter Scoop is our second edition, and it tastes exactly like its name: generous, unhurried and good in a way that makes you want to sit with it longer.

This is a single-origin Castillo from Colombia's Sierra Nevada range - naturally processed at altitude, where the slow fermentation of the whole dried cherry concentrates the fruit sugars into the seed over several weeks. That's what makes the vanilla note so pronounced and the raisin quality so specific. It's not a roast flavour. It's the terroir and the process, expressed honestly in the cup.

Unlike a lot of naturally processed coffees that lean heavy and jammy, Winter Scoop stays surprisingly clean. The Castillo varietal at this altitude gives it a structure that keeps everything in balance - sweet without being cloying, warming without being flat. Good cold too: let it cool in the cup and the vanilla note deepens.

Best for: Slow morning filter, AeroPress inverted, or a long espresso pulled with a little more headroom than usual. Omni-roasted - works beautifully on any method.