A natural Sudan Rume from Café Granja La Esperanza, roasted by Mirra and poured at Homage in Ballard: maraschino cherry, pineapple, and jasmine, bright and intensely fruit-forward.
In the cup
This was a pour-over at Homage in Ballard, and it landed as one of the best cups I’ve had in a while. Bright, floral, and intensely fruit-forward, with maraschino cherry and pineapple up front and jasmine running underneath. The notes on the menu actually showed up in the glass, which doesn’t always happen. I logged it five stars.
The coffee
It’s a natural-process Sudan Rume from Café Granja La Esperanza in Colombia’s Valle del Cauca, roasted by Mirra. Granja La Esperanza is a well-known Colombian grower run by the Ledesma family, with a long record of high-scoring lots and unusual varieties. Mirra roasts it in a clean, Nordic-style way that keeps the fruit and florals out front, which suits a coffee like this.
About Sudan Rume
Sudan Rume is a rare heirloom variety, originally collected near the border of Sudan and Ethiopia, with a strong reputation among growers for cup quality. It is also low-yielding and tricky to grow, so you mostly see it from quality-focused farms willing to trade volume for flavor. Café Granja La Esperanza is one of those farms, and this cup makes the case for the effort.
Where I had it
I stop by Homage whenever I’m in Ballard, and it has become my favorite specialty coffee shop in Seattle. Big thanks to Clinton and Rachel for the space they’ve built: warm and thoughtful, with rotating roasters, handmade ceramics, and genuinely friendly hospitality. My spouse got the strawberry matcha seltzer and loved that too.
Both Homage and Mirra are on our Favorites page, alongside the other roasters, beans, and shops I keep coming back to.