Single Origin Coffees for Sale Right Now

A single-origin coffee is one place in the cup, instead of a blend. The list changes as coffees sell through, so an older origin article can name bags that are no longer on the site. This one sticks to single origins that are visible at Old Crown Coffee Roasters right now. They are already roasted and ready to ship.

Browse them by shelf: African coffee, coffee from the Americas, and Asian coffee. Roast level still matters. The roast-level guide explains the numbers used below.

Africa

Ethiopia Guji Arsosala Natural is a level 2 light roast. The page says dark chocolate and jasmine up front, then blueberry, blackcurrant, and stone fruit as it cools. It is described as sweet and juicy, with a rich body.

Ethiopia Yirgacheffe Idido is also level 2, from the Idido washing station. The notes are a mild, creamy body and nougat, dried apricot, jasmine, and oolong tea.

Tanzania Utengule Estate Natural is a level 2 natural-process coffee. The page says naturals are pretty rare out of Tanzania, and it gives the pronunciation as oo-ten-GOO-lay. The cup is semi-sweet and wine-like, with cherry, dark chocolate, and strawberry.

Kenya Nyeri Mutwewathi AB is level 2, from the Mutwewathi factory in Nyeri. The page pronounces it moo-TWEH-wah-thee and notes that smallholder farmers nearby bring their cherries there. Dark chocolate and blackcurrant come first, then blackberry, lemon, and stone fruit as it cools.

Kenya Kichwa Tembo is the other Kenya, a level 3 medium-light. The page calls it a classic Kenyan profile: black tea, lemon, dark chocolate, cane sugar, and stone fruit. It also says lighter roasts like this one do well after a longer rest, and it recommends about a week from the roast date for peak flavor.

The Americas

Guatemala La Morena is level 4, a medium. The page calls it balanced, sweet, and a little savory, with dark chocolate, almond butter, dried fruit, and honey.

Nicaragua La Bastilla Honey is level 3. The first note on the page is marzipan, with brown sugar behind it. As it cools: dried apple, green grape, and honeysuckle.

El Salvador Pacamara from Finca San Antonio is level 3. The page says Pacamara beans are big and that this lot makes a clean cup, with tart green grape, orange, and burnt sugar.

Costa Rica San Diego Anaerobic is level 3, from Beneficio San Diego. The notes are strawberry, blueberry, bubble gum, and hibiscus, with grapefruit and bittersweet chocolate behind them.

Colombia Don Darko is the darkest of this group, a level 5 medium-dark Full City roast. Aromatics of pumpernickel, walnut, and caramel lead into a toasty, slightly smoky cup with baker's chocolate and roasted hazelnut.

Asia

Sumatra Mandheling is level 5. The page is careful: the specific notes can vary, and this bag is a heavy, earthy cup rather than a rotating stand-in. Sumatran coffees, it says, tend toward warming spices, vanilla, and toast. In the cup, look for vanilla, cream, cedar, heavy body, and sometimes a mild acidity in the background.

India Monsooned Malabar is level 6. Green coffee is exposed to the monsoon winds, which the page compares to the slow boat trip beans once took from India to Europe. The result is very full-bodied, extremely earthy, and almost without brightness. The page says you will know quickly if it is your coffee, and to start with a smaller bag.

Bee's Knees is a scarce Indonesian coffee, level 6. The page says it disappears for months at a time. It is a dark roast with a heavy body, malty dark chocolate, and a smoky finish. If it is on the site when you read this, it is available. It is not a standing blend.

When a blend is the better idea

Single origins are the right choice when you want one of the cups above. A blend is the right choice when you want those places combined on purpose. Big Squeezy and La Reina both use Brazilian, Ethiopian, and Sumatran coffee, and both pages say so. They are not single origins, and they are not trying to be. OC's House Blend is the everyday medium-dark blend if you do not want to pick an origin at all.

A practical way through the list: fruit and florals, start with the Ethiopias or Tanzania. A classic bright Kenya, choose Nyeri Mutwewathi or Kichwa Tembo. Something balanced and sweet, look at Guatemala La Morena or the honey Nicaragua. Something heavier, Sumatra Mandheling or Monsooned Malabar. Give Kichwa Tembo the rest its page asks for. The other bags are ready to brew on the same shipping schedule as the rest of the shop.