Neues Schwarz

From Dortmund, Germany, we’re happy to share some excellent coffee from Neues Schwarz. For this month we’re shipping sweet coffees from Latin America.

EL CEDRAL

Origin: Costa Rica
Process:  Black honey
Altitude: 1700 masl
Varieties: Caturra & Red catuai
Tasting notes: Mandarin, Walnut, Dark Caramel

”In Costa Rica, we look for coffees that stand out with their sweetness. With El Cedral, we found a coffee in the province of San José that delivers what we were looking for. The processing plays an important role for the cup profile in this coffee. The cherries are depulped and then dried in the sun with a relatively large amount of pulp still adhering to them. With this harvest, this process leads to a balanced interplay between clear acidity and concise sweetness.”

EDWIN & LUZ

Origin: Peru
Process:  Washed
Altitude: 2000 - 2200 masl
Varieties:  Typica
Tasting notes: Honeydew melon, Almond & Cocoa

”Edwin & Luz, grown at an altitude of 2000-2200 meters, convinces with unusual fruity properties and an intense sweetness. The harvests of the last few years have also delivered these complex flavour profiles. Such constant results are evidence of the steady routines they have when processing the coffee. Sufficient hours of sunshine and little rainfall during the drying period after harvest are also important factors for such a compelling result.”

LA PILA & NEIGHBOURS

Origin: Guatemala
Process:  Washed
Altitude: 1700 - 1750 masl
Varieties:  Catuai, Bourbon, Pache
Tasting notes: Plum, Cane Sugar & Cocoa

”Rodolfo Gracia, the owner of the farm, runs his finca with great passion and is constantly striving to improve the quality of his coffee through soil analysis and innovation. Together with his neighbours Antonio and Fredy, and his family, the ripe coffee cherries are hand-picked every year and brought to the El Hato farm, where the washed processing takes place.”

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Neues Schwarz

We’re glad to introduce you to our February’s roaster. Welcome back Neues Schwarz!

For those who might not know, who are Neues Schwarz?

Neues Schwarz is the first and only specialty coffee roastery in the greater Dortmund area. We see ourselves as a part of the "third-wave-movement". Thus we try to source, roast and brew only the best qualities we can find with our partners at coffee origin.

Photos by @haswawed on Instagram

What has happened since you were last featured in Bean Portal two years ago?

The last two years happened to be very short-dated. We opened a second shop in the city centre. A tiny but extravagant brew bar that has started to attract the crowds. Simultaneously, the number of b2b customers grew steadily which keeps the roaster busy.

You have had the roastery for 5 years now, how was the Dortmund coffee scene when Neues Schwarz started compared to now?

This months we turned 4 years. When we started our business, terms like "light roast", "flat white" and "notes of jasmine and blueberry" were new to a non-existing coffee scene in the Dortmund area. Nowadays much has changed and it feels great to get into more and more discussions in our stores about the quality and the origin of coffee.

Are there any projects you are working on right now that you are extra excited about?

We have travelled a number of times to coffee producers in the origin to see, engage and understand. We have two key projects that we support financially beyond the usual coffee purchase. The projects are in El Salvador (Finca San Antonio) and Peru (Edwin&Luz). We believe that a close cooperation helps to improve the quality of coffee and builds a longterm relationship.

Where do you see yourselves in 5 years?

It is difficult to predict the future. We certainly want to be at the forefront of a coffee scene that grows, not only in Berlin or Hamburg, but across the entire country.

We've heard the Kayon Mountain makes an amazing aeropress. What can we expect from this month's coffees?

The Kayon Mountain is a very special coffee. You usually find one or two methods that are ideal to brew a particular coffee. It is different though with the Kayon. You can fully enjoy it as filter or espresso equally. The notes of sweet blueberry will always be present, which is very typical for natural Ethiopian coffees, but it also has some floral notes towards the end which are usually more a sign for a washed coffee from that area. We hope you enjoy it and are happy to receive feedback.

In Sweden we like to drink a coffee with a cinnamon bun. What is your favourite way of enjoying a cup of coffee?

We like to share coffee. With everyone, customers, staff, friends and also Swedish platforms :). We really like the social aspect of coffee. Within the team we would more likely brew a fruity filter and talk about the cup afterwards.

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Neues Schwarz

Let us introduce our February’s roaster Neues Schwarz from Dortmund, Germany. We have had an interview with co-founder Benedikt!

What’s the story behind Neues Schwarz?

I found my interest and passion in specialty coffee in Nürnberg almost 7 years ago. I was still working as an urban planner and lived next to a specialty roastery. After a while I made friend with the owner and started working for him as a barista and roaster. I learned a lot about the business, the roasting and expertise of specialty coffee. As my wife and I always planned to go back to our hometown we decided to build up our own business. My brother joined the adventure as head of finance and as a team of three we started elaborating our business plan. In March 2014, after 3 month of rebuilding a former furniture store, we opened our Specialty Roastery & Café in Dortmund.

Two years later we’re blessed with a great team of 10, very open-minded and cherishing clients, while still living our dream :-)

What are your thoughts and philosophies when roasting?

In general we’re dividing between espresso & filter roasts. The filter roasts are always as light and fruity as possible, for the espresso roasts we aim to develop them more balanced. That makes it a bit easier for our conservative customers to drink our espresso roasts.

What is the vision for Neues Schwarz?

At Neues Schwarz, we set ourselves several different goals. First, our aim is to express our appreciation for the farmer’s work through fair payment. Second, we value the diversity of aroma that different geographical areas and processes promote. Third, we want to give the possibility of choice to our clients by providing coffee from a single origin. By building a direct, fair coffee trade company, we could strengthen our efforts in achieving our aims. 

Where do you see yourselves in 5 years?

Still sourcing fantastic coffees, helping farmers building a sustainable business & still developing a new coffee culture in Western Germany

What is the most rewarding part of roasting?

While roasting I imagine the aromas I want to highlight. However, of course every bean has different potentials, different characteristics and you can never exactly foresee the final coffee. So the next reward for me is the first sip of the current charge – to discover the aromas that I have developed by roasting. But, the most rewarding is maybe to see our customers during the open cuppings we offer: how is the coffee perceived and accepted? Luckily, we have very open-minded customers who value diversity.

Is there any project you are working on right now that you are extra excited about?

Right now we’re working on a ‚cup project’ with a german/japan design combo. They just started their own business creating minimalistic cups produced in Japan. We’re always looking for interesting, unique & highest quality products that fits our own concept.

Would you mind sharing your favourite brewing recipe?

I prefer V60. Here’s our receipt:

- 16 g coffee

- 250 g water (95 C°)

- brewing time 2:00 – 2:30

1. clean the paper filter with hot water

2. pour 30 g water as preinfusion for 30sec

3. pour slowly up to 150 g water

4. pour in two more steps with 50 g water each

There are many of our subscribers who are trying Neues Schwarz for the first time. What can they expect?

Three coffees with quite diverse cupprofiles, all of them sweet and fruity, but different.

We hope you have enjoyed the coffees from Neues Schwarz. Be sure not to miss out on March's box, get you subscription going now! :-)

All photos shot by Tobias König