ATSABE

IN THE CUP: RED CURRANTS, PEACH & JUNIPER

Origin: Ermera, Timor-Leste | Producer: The Producers of Atsabe | Variety: Typica |   Process: Natural | Altitude: 1400 - 1600 MASL | Harvest: 2025

This is the first time we’ve ever featured a coffee from the beautiful volcanic island of Timor-Leste, and it’s a region we’ve been eager to explore for a while. With its rich volcanic soil and tropical climate, it’s an ideal place for growing exceptional coffee.

Timor-Leste has had a challenging modern history. After 25 years of occupation by Indonesia (from 1975 to 1999), the country finally gained independence in 2002—becoming the first new independent nation of the 21st century.

While oil has long been the country’s main export, declining reserves have made coffee increasingly important for local communities. Despite the region’s perfect growing conditions, the years of conflict left much of the coffee infrastructure damaged, meaning most production remained wild and inconsistent—making it difficult for farmers to earn a sustainable income.

That’s where the incredible team at Raw Material comes in. They’ve been working in Timor-Leste to rebuild processing systems and infrastructure, helping farmers produce consistently great coffee—just as they’ve done in Rwanda at Shyira and other producing countries. Their work has had a huge impact, improving both coffee quality and farmer livelihoods year after year. 

Our lot comes from Atsabe, in the west of the island. (Here’s a great VR video that gives you a glimpse into the region and the people behind this coffee) It’s a natural Typica, which is especially exciting for us.

A quick bit of coffee history: Typica is one of the two original Arabica varieties (the other being Bourbon), both of which naturally mutated in Yemen hundreds of years ago. The first Arabica plants were brought from Ethiopia to Yemen in the 15th century, where these two foundational varieties were born. Bourbon later spread west to the Americas, while Typica travelled east to India, Indonesia, and eventually East Timor.

Many of today’s famous coffee varieties—like Catuai, SL-28, SL-34, and Maragogype—are direct descendants or hybrids of Typica. It’s truly one of coffee’s “mother varieties.” So tasting this ancient variety grown in one of its historical homes feels pretty special—and even better, it’s delicious.

In the cup, you’ll find rich molasses-like sweetness, balanced by notes of red currant and a gentle, peach-like acidity. The whole cup is anchored by a botanical, juniper-like character that gives you a real sense of the island’s terroir—and keeps each sip more intriguing than the last.

*Our coffee is freshly roasted each week and orders are dispatched on Tuesday and Thursday for orders received by 12pm the day before.