DAK Coffee Roasters | Companion Coffee 010.
Companion Coffee 010.
Our Companion Coffee this month comes from Dak Coffee Roasters, founded in Amsterdam 2019 by Veronique Lagarde and Louis-Philippe Boucher. Their accessible, quality driven approach and uniquely online presence has resonated with coffee lovers across the globe. Dak’s aim is to sustainably grow an engaging brand that welcomes all on a journey of specialty coffee.
Veronique and Louis took an unconventional route into the specialty industry. Originally from Montreal, the couple worked in marketing and finance in Milan and London before settling in Amsterdam. Throughout their travels, they developed a passion for coffee and the diversity of coffee culture across the world; drawn to the cross section of branding and sourcing. They wanted to position themselves in the middle of the coffee supply chain, to put them at a vantage point where they could see and experience coffee’s entire journey from farm to customer. Their ambition focused on launching a roastery operation that could make specialty coffee accessible to both sides of the equation.
When Dak launched, Veronique and Louis suspected their venture would take time to become a full time endeavour, but Dak’s aesthetic approach coupled with a diverse offering of coffees has quickly become a hit. We were introduced by Cat, co-founder of Cata Cafe Exports, as they also buy coffee from her and hold a very similar ethos to WatchHouse in terms of quality of sourcing and branding.
Introducing Barbara.
We were fortunate to taste all of Dak’s current seasonal offering, but Barbara really stood out as an exceptional example of Kenyan coffee. Bursting with berry-like sweetness, subtle floral complexity and a smooth round body it is the perfect offering to celebrate Kenyan season for coffee buyers.
The Ndunduri washing station where this coffee was processed was built in the early 1970s on the slopes of Mount Kenya. Ripe cherry is brought to the factory by local smallholders, where it undergoes processing to remove the skin and pulp (wet processing method). After pulping, the coffee is fermented overnight to break down the sugars, before it is cleaned, soaked and spread out on the raised drying tables. Drying time will depend on the climate, temperature, and volume of coffee, but it generally takes from 7 to 15 days in total.
Origin. Kenya
Process. Washed
Variety. SL 28, SL 34, Ruiru 11, Batian
Tasting Notes. Rhubarb, Field strawberry, White flowers