Sitio Kisbong | Philippines
Say hello to SITIO KISBONG , a washed process mix of typica and bourbon varietals grown by local farmers in Benguet, and then processed by our friends at Kalsada in the Philippines.
Expect to taste: raspberry, milk chocolate, passionfruit, corella pear, gula melaka, calamansi lime, dragon fruit.
CORE INFO
TL;DR: our partnership with Kalsada has gone from strength to strength over the last few years. This partnership is everything we hoped for when starting Core, it's about people, community, and flavourful things.
Some words from Kalsada who brought us this amazing coffee:
The Sitio Kisbong mill was born in 2019, through a partnership between Filipino coffee brand Bo’s Coffee and 14 farmer-families who expressed a willingness to run a mill of their own. Kisbong is approximately 17 kilometers from the central Belis mill and sits on the only flat area in the community.
Our very first purchase of green beans from Benguet actually came from Sitio Kisbong in 2014. Back then, only a couple of farmers could produce 35 to 50 kilos of green beans with unpredictable levels of quality. Now, with its on-location mill, Sitio Kisbong is able to produce at least two tons of specialty grade coffee every harvest.
It’s really hard to put into words how much this post, and these coffees mean to us.
Through a somewhat random series of events that started with @akasya.kape asking us to roast some coffee for them, which lead to us hosting our first ever event for Filipino Coffee Month last October. This was where we first showcased what was, and continues to be, truly outstanding coffees from the Philippines.
We then got to see our roasts taken back to the people that grew and cared for the trees that made this coffee happen, and to hear that they enjoyed our version of their hard work was one of the most uplifting and heartwarming experiences we could have.
This then lead to us being given the immense privilege of roasting samples and hosting @teredomine and @paulbarreto for a cupping of the new season lots from @kalsadacoffee, as well as showing the short film @maamterefilm.
We were then given the chance to purchase new season lots, allowing us to bring in 3 new coffees from @kalsadacoffee to share with you this year, and for many more years to come!
We've roasted this for maximum espresso enjoyment! It's got everything, good body, crazy sweetness, and a really crisp acidity like ripe tropical fruit. You're in for a treat!
BREWING SUGGESTIONS
We start with the same recipe for all of our espresso coffees:
- 20g dose
- 45g yield
- 30 seconds
From here we will tweak things to get the flavours to highlight things we like. Use this as your starting point and go wild!
Note: some domestic espresso machines can’t use a 20g dose. Please always follow your manufacturers instructions to avoid damaging your equipment.