Old Friend Espresso Blend

Old Friend is our staple coffee here at Thunder. While it is the espresso blend we use in our shops, it also stands out as a great option for any brewing method. Our updated version of Old Friend features a blend of Colombia and Bolivia offerings. Both come to us through our friends at Red Fox Coffee Merchants.

The Colombia half of our blend comes to us from the Nariño region through a farmer named Olmedo Urbano. Nariño is a region in the southwestern corner of the country. This area is covered in rainforest, mountains, and volcanoes; among these places many people live and farm. In the community of La Cueva, farmers preserve the natural forest by leaving it untouched as part of their farms. Mr. Urbano is a part of the La Cueva community and has been growing coffee on this land for the last 19 years on his farm, El Pindal. There he grows exclusively Castilla and Colombia varietals as well as bananas.

The other half is from the Caranavi region of Bolivia. Coffee production has more recently become a growing trend among Bolivian farmers. The province of Caranavi is central to this coffee explosion with coffee shops and different events popping up everywhere. It is even known to those in the province and surrounding areas as the “Bolivian Coffee Capital.” We sourced our coffee from a community in Caranavi called Copacabana. This community is comprised of about 35 families and lots of younger farmers (30-40 y/o). Each farm is made up of 2-3 hectares and most of the crop is shade grown.

These two coffees blend well to create a very recognizable espresso profile: lots of chocolate and dried red fruits. The care put into growing them shines through in a notable depth and complexity. This ensures each cup is dynamic and tasty to the last drop.

Currently: Colombia Tolima & Bolivia Caranavi

Flavor Profile: Cherry, Cacao, Dried Strawberry

Pictured above: 1) Olmedo Urbano 2) Caranavi, Bolivia