We created Dr Strangeove Espresso as an exciting first step for coffee lovers looking to learn more about the world of speciality coffee.
Each year we seek out a new interesting, crowd-pleasing single-origin coffee to become this season's Dr Strangelove Espresso.
We look for a balance of vibrant fruit notes and plenty of sweetness, something for coffee lovers to enjoy in cafes or at home, with milk, alt milk or black.
Every year we find a new, exciting single origin coffee to become our Dr Strangelove espresso.
Our 2024 Dr Strangelove Espresso is a lip-smackingly-good washed coffee from the carbon-neutral Coope Dota cooperative in Costa Rica. In the cup this coffee has notes of apricot, honey & Bakewell tart. Delicious black or with milk.
This year’s Dr Strangelove has taken us to the heart of Costa Rica’s coffee-growing region, Terrazu.
The Coope Dota cooperative is a pioneering coffee producer, becoming the first in the world to achieve carbon-neutral certification in 2011.
Each coffee cherry is carefully hand-picked and then undergoes a meticulous washing process. This involves removing the outer skin and pulp, followed by fermentation and washing to separate the beans.
The result is a coffee with a clean and vibrant flavour profile of apricots and Bakewell tart with a subtle honey sweetness.
Coope Dota proudly holds the title of being the world’s pioneer carbon-neutral coffee processor, championing sustainability in every aspect of its operations. Representing around 900 devoted small holders focused on growing three coffee varietals, mainly Caturra and Catuai.
The cooperative ensures that every step, from the transportation of coffee to the ports, to waste management, is environmentally conscientious. They even convert their waste into nutrient-rich compost, further adding to their eco-friendly practices.
In the rare event of exceeding their carbon-neutral goal, they purchase carbon credits to maintain their environmental balance.
Coope Dota’s commitment to sustainability goes beyond the cooperative's immediate operations. As well as running it's own roastery and shop, it also reinvests additional funds back into the community.
| Cooperative: | Coope Dota | Farmers: | Multiple smallholders |
| Varietals: | Caturra, Catuai, Bourbon |
| Processes: | Washed |
| Region: | Tarrazu |
| Country: | Costa Rica |
| Certification: | Carbon Neutral |
| Working with Extract since: | 2023 |
Dr Strangelove is an easy step into the exciting world of single-origin coffees. It's our chance to showcase the skills of individual farmers and demonstrate how geography, processing method, altitude and even rainfall can impact the final flavour of your coffee.
It's fun to geek out on the details of coffee sourcing. Just like with wine or craft beer, lots of our customers are eager to learn more about the journey from crop to cup.
If you want to learn more about the sourcing story behind your coffee, Dr Strangelove is a great starting point.
If you want to sit back, relax and enjoy the brew without the details, that's cool too.
Our 2024 Dr Strangelove is from the heart of Costa Rica’s coffee-growing region, Terrazu and the world's first carbon-neutral coffee producer, Coope Dota.
IN THE CUP: Apricot, Honey & Bakewell Tart
GROWERS: SMALLHOLDERS IN COSTA RICA
PROCESS: WASHED
Our quest for this year’s Dr Strangelove has taken us to Papua New Guinea where we’ve found this jammy espresso with flavours of plum jam, cocoa and vanilla sweetness with milk.
The coffee is grown by 300 small growers, then processed in the dizzying altitudes of the Lahamenegu Mill high in the Eastern Highlands Province. Enjoy black, with milk or alternative plant based milks for a tasty flat white.
GROWERS: SMALLHOLDERS IN PAPUA NEW GUINEA
PROCESS: WASHED
IN THE CUP: PLUM JAM, COCOA, VANILLA EXTRACT Jam
If you're looking for a new single origin coffee to try our 2022 Dr Strangelove espresso will not disappoint. With mouthwatering orange and cinnamon sweetness, this fully washed coffee is just as delicious black as an americano or espresso as it is with milk as a latte or flate white.
Ethically sourced from the Bugoye Washing Station in Uganda. The mill helps the local coffee growers produce higher-quality coffee, resulting in higher yields and profits for the grower. These are invested back into the community and help the community reach economic sustainability beyond charitable support.
FARM: Rwenzori Bugoye Washing Station
PROCESS: WASHED
IN THE CUP:
BLACK: DARK CHOCOLATE ORANGE & CINNAMON
WITH MILK: CINNAMON BUNS & ORANGE CURD
Our 2021 Dr Strangelove brew is a daring and delicious natural-process Brazilian coffee. We taste tropical dried fruits, garibaldi biscuits & those decadently sticky, candied German almonds!
Fazenda Barreiro combines coffee farming with a commitment to environmentally & socially responsible farming. Natural forest, water sources, native birds and animals are protected and 30 families of employees live on the farm.
FARM: FAZENDA BARREIRO, Brazil
PROCESS: PULPED NATURAL
IN THE CUP: Dried Mango, Garibaldi Biscuits & Candied Almonds
Who'd have thought Dr Strangelove's motto could be so poignant? ‘Stop worrying, love the brew’ was a message we lived by in the lockdowns of 2020.
2020’s Dr Strangelove Extract’s first ever Honey-Process coffee from Colombia (an unusual find!) Boozy-sweet, with a subtle fruit note. All round delicious.
FARM: El Tablon, Colombia
PROCESS: HONEY
IN THE CUP: DARK CHOCOLATE, KIRSCH CHERRY LIQUEUR, TOASTED ALMONDS
2019’s Dr Strangelove was a washed coffee grown by smallholders in the dizzying altitudes of the Juanambu Canyon. Working together as part of The Alianza Café association, local farmers have access to the global speciality coffee market. We loved this coffee for its sparkling acidity with notes of morello cherry and a kick of citrus.
We were stoked to serve up the Doc' in the Design Museum alongside the Stanley Kubrick exhibition, an ode to the director of the original cult classic, Dr Strangelove.
FARMS: Alianza Café association, Nariño, Colombia
PROCESS: WASHED
IN THE CUP: MORELLO CHERRY, LEMON & MARZIPAN
In 2018 we were stoked to see Dr Strangelove espresso used in a collaborations between craft breweries Wiper & True and Tempest Brewing Company.
Together, they created Swally Wee Heavy, an incredible scottish-style beer. A delicious brown IPA at a punchy 9%, also known as a "wee heavy".
In 2017 we visited Finca San Carlos in the foothills of the Santa Ana Volcano. The coffee here is shade-grown using organic methods and caring for the local environment is a priority for this inspiring farm.
With a rich chocolatey flavour and a strong mulberry note, this was the perfect choice for our 2017-2018 Dr Strangelove.
FARM: FINCA SAN CARLOS, Santa Ana Apaneca-Lamatepec, El Salvador
PROCESS: WASHED
IN THE CUP: ALMOND, MULBERRY & COCOA
For Dr Strangelove 2016 we returned to Cauca, a UNESCO World Heritage Site due to its importance as a wildlife and water reserve. After many years buying coffee from Santa Barbara Estate, we were happy to select its neighbour, Finca Camelia. We loved the sticky sweet flavours of blackberry almond tart in 2016’s Dr Strangelove espresso.
Finca Camelia, ANTIOQUIA, Colombia
PROCESS: WASHED
IN THE CUP: BLACKBERRY JAM & FRANGIPANE
Sweet flavours of cherry fruit compote and smooth almond butter rocked our world for Dr Strangelove 2015. The sourcing story shone a spotlight on to Cauca, Colombia, a region with a history of violence. Successful peace efforts recognising Cauca's importance as a wildlife reserve and the earning potential of the speciality coffee market have transformed the region.
The Inza smallholders working together in the Asociación de Productores de Café del Oriente Caucano (ASORCAFE) produce amazing quality coffee which Extract has continued to buy following this initial purchase in 2015.
FARM: ASORCAFE INZA, CAUCA, SAN ANTONIO, COLOMBIA
PROCESS: WASHED
IN THE CUP: ALMOND BISCOTTI & CHERRY COMPOTE
2014's Dr Strangelove was from a relatively new farm, La Tesalia, and was only their third harvest. The washed-fermentation we used for Dr Strangelove had rich flavours of plum, chocolate and red wine.
FARM: LA TESALIA, ANTIOQUIA, COLOMBIA
PROCESS: WASHED, NATURAL FERMENTATION
IN THE CUP: PLUM, CHOCOLATE & RED WINE
2013 was a 60:40 blend of two farms. The first was Veracruz, an incredible farm which we've been working with since 2010. You can read more about Veracruz here.
The second coffee was from a group of organic smallholders in the Gegarang village in Sumatra. The coffee had the daring fruitiness we've come to expect in Dr Strangelove with the delicious sweetness of chocolate biscuits.
FARM: Veracruz, Colombia 60% & Gegarang, Sumatra, Indonesia 40%
PROCESS: WASHED
IN THE CUP: CHERRY COMPOTE, CHOCOLATE BOURBON BISCUITS
Our first ever Dr Strangelove was in 2012. We wanted to make a coffee which was all about incredible flavours and 100% traceability. We blended a pulped natural coffee from the Carvalho Dias and Ottoni families in Brazil with a washed coffee from Finca San Francisco, Nicaragua.
That year, Dr Strangelove also won a ‘Future of Coffee’ award in ShortList Magazine - yes Doc!
FARM: FAZENDA RODOMUNHO, CERRADO, BRAZIL & FINCA SAN FRANCISCO, NICARAGUA
PROCESS: PULPED NATURAL & WASHED
Take a look at our latest coffees, freshly roasted and available to buy online now.