INNER STRENGTH 2023 is now sold out
Missed out on this exclusive microlot? Here are some more delicious espressos you might want to try:
- Sitio Pinhalzinho Espresso. This creamy natural-process espresso from Brazil took Bristol Coffee Festival and Manchester Coffee Festival by storm with its delicious banoffee flavour profile.
- If you're looking for a coffee with a clean cup profile, Midnight Flyer Espresso could be right up your street. A washed coffee from Uganda with notes of nutmeg and biscoff.
- El Carmen is one of our favourite espressos right now. An tasty Colombian coffee with toffee-apple sweetness. Yum!
- For a single origin coffee you can enjoy year-round; check out Dr Strangelove Espresso: A washed coffee from Papua New Guinea with notes of plum jam and a vanilla sweetness that we can't get enough of.
About the Inner Strength 2023
Inner Strength, the coffee that tastes good and does good is back!
This year's coffee is an exceptional red honey process, produced exclusively for Extract Coffee Roasters.
For every bag of Inner Strength sold we donate £1 to community projects. So, drinking Inner Strength Espresso helps people impacted by homelessness in London back into employment, supports hospitality professionals struggling with their mental health and helps young people fight the impacts of deprivation.
Not only does this coffee do good, it tastes incredible... keep reading for more info about this year's limited edition coffee.
Read the history of Inner Strength espresso
IN THE CUP: Cherry, Almond, Honeycomb
This particular lot is a red honey processed and has been produced exclusively for Extract Coffee Roasters after our visit to Finca Valentina in Honduras last year.
In this method, the outer skin of the coffee cherry is removed, but up to 50% of the sticky mucilage that surrounds the beans is left intact during drying. The coffee beans become coated in a sticky red layer, resembling honey as they dry.
The red honey process allows the beans to absorb some of the sugars and flavours from the mucilage during drying, resulting in delicious sweetness in the cup which we think you'll love.
Meet the Grower: Carlos Mejia of Finca Valentina
Carlos Ernestor Mejia’s daughter was born prematurely and fought for her life as an infant. Her name, Valentina, translates as "courageous”. Carlos named his farm “Finca Valentina” after his daughter and we’re stoked to be using an exclusive lot from this farm as this year’s Inner Strength espresso.
Carlos comes from five generations of coffee farmers. Born and raised among coffee plantations in his native San Pedro de Tutule, Carlos is the driving force behind coffee operations on the farm, from the processing and preparation to exporting the green coffee beans. The family owns over 10 coffee farms with 200 hectares growing varietals such as Red & Yellow Catuaí, Pacas & Lempira.
How to brew Inner Strength Espresso
As an espresso we recommend a slightly shorter yield for this coffee. Try 18g in for 34g coffee out and a shot time of 27 to 30 seconds.
Meet the Roasters
When Tommy, our head roaster visited Honduras in 2022, he spent a lot of time with Carlos while being shown around the farm, drying beds and washing stations.
While cupping their coffees, Tommy asked if Carlos would be able to process a red honey coffee just for us. Honey process is risky for a farmer so for him to have done this exclusively for us is pretty awesome!
Inner Strength is roasted on Betty, a 1955 cast iron Probat Roaster found in Cardiff in 2010 and lovingly brought back to life through a series of restorations by Extract Co-Founder David Faulkner. Her most recent restoration throughout 2018 and 2019 made further improvements on her efficiency and will keep this iconic machine running for many more years to come.
