Amsterdam has its fair share of outstanding coffee bars that have gained loyal followings from both locals and visitors alike. One such place that also comes with a great roastery is Uncommon Coffee, located in the hip Oud West neighbourhood. With its giant street-facing window, Uncommon is the kind of coffee shop that feels like it could be your living room.
Set up by Josh Cotton and Clay Tobin, two veterans of the Amsterdam coffee scene who hopped around different coffee bars before setting up Common Greens, their first foray into specialty coffee roasting, Uncommon has become a fixture on the coffee circuit and it also one of my personal favourites in town. You can often find me there having lunch or sipping coffee while catching up with friends.
The aesthetic of the place can be described as warm nordic minimalism that feels both homely and modern. Uncommon’s coffees, in turn, represent an elegant mix of origins, processes and flavours. There’s never too much and never too little on offer and many of the producers that Uncommon works with are also long-term Coffeevine partners who we’re sourced from via other roasters.
Uncommon takes its name from the fact that each coffee has its unique story consisting of a unique set of characteristics. Like every interaction the baristas have with customers, these coffees have an uncommon story which Josh, Clay and their team try to justice with their take on roasting and serving these coffees.
Currently, they are working on opening a brand new coffee bar right across the street from their current café where they will be serving the most exclusive lots and special coffees that you won’t be able to find elsewhere. I’m already looking forward to this new opening in the foreseeable future!
The last time we featured Uncommon in one of our boxes was back in 2022 when the many our subscribers became hardcore fans of theirs. I invited Uncommon to join our February 2024 Coffeevine box with a really outstanding washed Kenyan coffee from Karinga, a mill run by the Gitwe Farmers Cooperative Society. This coop works with around 500 smallholder farmers who produce outstanding coffees and who receive financial and agricultural support from the coop. This investment in the farming communities secures their livelihoods and gives us access to such epic coffees as this one.
Expect a classic washed Kenyan cup profile with bright red berries, a rhubarb like tartness and an exquisite rooibos finish.
To receive this outstanding coffee and its companions in the European roasters selection for February or to order the Total Package with our entire selection for February, visit our shop. Pre-orders close on 15.02.2024 / Ships globally on 20.02.2024
