As we enjoy the final days of summer, my team and I are already looking ahead at the cozy autumn months. It’s hard to believe that this year has literally flown by and yet, here we are. In the middle of September.

That is why we decided to look for delicious comforting coffees that will be the perfect companions to keep you warm and fuzzy. I’m really excited to welcome back two roasters who have not been featured in almost two years and one newcomer who I recently had the pleasure of meeting during a short weekend visit to Brussels.

From The Netherlands we have Keen Coffee from Utrecht who is returning to The Coffeevine in October with a really fantastic Peruvian coffee, only our third-ever coffee from this origin. They will be joined by our friends from Man vs. Machine in Munich who have been a beacon of specialty coffee in Bavaria for many years and will be roasting a gorgeous natural-processed Ethiopian coffee for us. And last but not least, Wide Awake Coffee Roasters from Belgium is making its debut in one of our boxes with a fresh and fruity washed Ethiopian coffee.

There’s a wonderful mix of flavours coming your way in October and we cannot wait to share these outstanding coffees with you soon. But first, let’s meet the roasters.

Keen Coffee

This colourful outfit from The Netherlands has been a household name in the local specialty coffee scene for some years and is a frequent collaborator of local coffee festivals and competitions. 

Run by Rob Kerkhoff and Bonne Postma, Keen Coffee is one of the only specialty roasters in the country that works with a Loring roaster and the guys there use this to roast some truly extraordinary coffees to perfection.

Keen has so far been featured twice before and their coffees are always a big hit.

During our recent cupping to select the coffees for October, we had a variety of options from Keen on the table but the ultimate winner was a super delicious washed Peruvian coffee from producer Delvis at Agua de Nieve.

Consisting of Typica, Caturra and Bourbon, this coffee has a rich and well-balanced cup profile with notes of lychee, red grapes and milk chocolate.

Available with separate filter and espresso roast profiles

Man vs. Machine

It’s a real pleasure to welcome back Man vs. Machine from Munich in Germany for their third Coffeevine feature in October. I’ve personally visited Marco Mehrwald and his team on many occasions and really love what they’ve done over the past few years to bring specialty coffee to Bavaria’s capital.

It might come as a surprise to learn that Munich still relatively underdeveloped when it comes to third wave coffee but then again, with its proximity to Italy and a strong latte macchiato culture, locals are more accustomed to dark and bitter espresso based drinks.

That’s also why on their bags, Man vs. Machine put the following line of coffee wisdom: ‘Life can be bitter. Your coffee shouldn’t be.’

The coffees that Marco and his team source and roast are always bright, fruity and delicious. 

For the upcoming October 2021 Coffeevine box, Man vs. Machine will roast a really interesting natural-processed Ethiopian coffee from Diima Chelbesa for us. This coffee really stood out on the cupping table with notes of berries, mint and cotton candy. A weird flavour combo but even more exciting to drink.

Available as an omni-roast.

Wide Awake Coffee Roasters

Before my partner and I recently went to visit Brussels, I asked people on Instagram to recommend some new coffee places to visit in the city. Beside the likes of MOK and Buddy Buddy, many people mentioned Wide Awake Coffee Roasters who I had not previously come across. 

This funky outfit whose roasters is near MOK and the Brussels Canal was founded by Rutger Callewier and Senina Cojocari with the aim of supplying local hospitality businesses in Brussels with better quality coffee.

Since they opened in 2021, Wide Awake has become a popular spot to pick up a bag of beans from the seasonal offerings, all of which are given custom names and labels that make the navigation much easier because even though the coffee inside might be different depending on the time of the year, it will still match a rough flavour direction. 

So, for their Coffeevine debut in October, Wide Awake will offer us their current Juicy Box coffee, which is a washed Ethiopia consisting of the Wolisho and Kurume varieties. It’s a a bright and elegant coffee with notes of bergamot, peach, kiwi and black tea.

Available with separate filter and espresso roast profiles

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