SWEETSHOP by Square Mile Coffee Roasters is an espresso blend for anyone who loves distinctly fruity, sweet, and juicy cups of coffee. It combines Guatemalan and Kenyan coffee into an unusual profile full of dark forest fruits. The flavor features notes of black cherries, blackberries, and black grapes, complemented by a syrupy sweetness, a fuller body, and a pleasant fruity acidity. The result is an espresso with a rich character that stands apart from traditional chocolate blends and offers distinctive fruity complexity. Thanks to its sweetness and intensity, it works great on its own, but it also holds its own in milk-based drinks, where it retains its distinctive fruity character.
The blend consists of two coffees from different growing regions. The first comes from the Los Laureles farm in Guatemala’s Huehuetenango region, where it is produced by Luis Hernandez Lopez. The farm is located in the Antonia Huista area, and Lopez has been gradually refining the processing methods and improving the quality of production there since 1995. The other half of the blend consists of Kenyan Thiririka coffee from the Kirinyaga region, produced by the Thiririka Farmers Cooperative Society. The Guatemalan varieties Caturra, Bourbon, and Pache are complemented by the Kenyan varieties SL 28, SL 34, and Batian. It is precisely the combination of these two distinct terroirs that creates a balanced profile, blending sweetness, fruitiness, and a distinctive body.
Both coffees were processed using the washed method, though each in a slightly different way. After hulling, the Guatemalan portion undergoes approximately 36 hours of fermentation in hot water, is then washed, and dried on terraces for four to five days. This process contributes to a clean flavor profile and highlights the sweetness and fruity notes. The Kenyan coffee uses a method known as “dry fermentation,” in which no fermentation in water takes place after the pulp is removed. Slightly more intense oxidation gives the cup a jam-like character, a syrupy body, and a deeper fruity sweetness. The combination of these two methods results in an espresso with a clean profile, a rich body, and a long, juicy aftertaste.