Assembly House Espresso - A Guide
The seasonal Assembly House Espresso is the clearest demonstration of the value we aim to create for specialty coffee industry stakeholders, and the sincere narratives we highlight for the specialty movement. We source our House Espresso to celebrate the diversity of coffee. We source it to define what quality coffee is, and what that means to everyone involved.
By rotating the coffee throughout the year, we make accessible multiple premium coffees at competitive prices. And by working closely with the same producers over multi-year contracts, not only do we deliver consistent impact, we’re constantly refining and improving to dial in on the formula for the perfect espresso.
There are only so many farms in the world that can produce 40, 50, 60 tonnes of premium-quality coffee for a consistent, year-round house espresso. We’ve engineered the House Espresso to create value for smaller farms, enabling us to have an impact across a much wider diversity of producers and regions.
In the cup, the House Espresso is always the ultimate expression of the terroir in which it was produced. It is sticky, sweet, viscous. Its acidity is pronounced but not overpowering. It is this profile that determines every iteration of the House Espresso and is the framework within which we use the coffee to explore nuances in taste.
Assembly House Espresso - El Salvador
- Producers — Agua Caliente and Monterrey family estates (J.J Borja Nathan)
- Region — Ahuachapan, western El Salvador
- Terroir — 1100-1500 masl, temperate tropical climate
- Process — Washed
- Varietals — Bourbon, ABM, pacas, sampacho, marselles
Suggested espresso recipe - 18g - 29s - 37g
Toffee + Red berries + Velvety
This season's House Espresso is a mixed-varietal lot from Salvadorian estate J.J Borja Nathan.
In the cup this coffee is super sweet, rich, and full of layered fruit and nut flavours.
As always, the House Espresso is versatile. We use the above recipe in the roastery for a balanced espresso that is sweet and vibrant when drunk black, and also pairs well with milk. Of course there are many variables that will impact the optimum recipe for you, but start here and you'll be on your way to brewing the coffee to its maximum potential.
If espresso isn't your thing, not to worry. You'll also enjoy this coffee when brewed with AeroPress, French Press, Moka Pot or filter.
J.J Borja Nathan
J.J Borja Nathan, a large high-quality exporter and estates owner in the Ahuachapán region, was originally a commercially-focused operation which focused primarily on yield.
Over the last fifteen years, they have embarked on a project to revolutionise their production systems - using an integrated system of native flora, rare indigenous shade trees, and ecological soil management to restructure their farming systems.
This work has been driven by two considerations. One – a feeling of responsibility in light of a more developed understanding of their environmental impact. And two - resilience of the business in the face of climate change.
The canopy of the area’s indigenous shade trees provides a natural insulation against the climatic fluctuations being driven by the increased unpredictability of El Salvador’s seasons.
The Nathan estates use a four-tier system of ground cover, small shrubs (primarily coffee trees), and medium and large-sized trees that is more efficient than a classic coffee and shade mix. Designed to mimic a rainforest environment, this combination of flora provides a habitat for animals and insects native to the region.
And there are concerted efforts to recycle and reuse. One hundred-percent of the water used at the washing mill is collected rainwater – saving 10,000 gallons of water every year. And every mechanised machine is powered by recycled coffee parchment and pruned tree leaves.
J.J Borja Nathan — El Salvador
Fazenda Mio — Brazil
Multiple producers — Peru