Coava Coffee Roasters - Specialty Coffee Roaster | Unpacking Coffee [Skip to content](#main-content) [ ](https://unpacking.coffee)[ ![Unpacking Coffee Logo](/images/cuppin-logo.svg) Unpacking Coffee ](https://unpacking.coffee/dashboard) [ Coffees ](https://unpacking.coffee/coffees) [ Cuppings ](https://unpacking.coffee/cuppings) [ Recipes ](https://unpacking.coffee/recipes) [ Log in ](https://unpacking.coffee/login) [ ](https://unpacking.coffee/login "Log in") [ Register ](https://unpacking.coffee/register) [ ](https://unpacking.coffee/register "Register") [ Roasters ](https://unpacking.coffee/roasters) Coava Coffee Roasters Coava Coffee Roasters ===================== Coava Coffee Roasters is a specialty coffee company known for their meticulous approach to sourcing, roasting, and brewing coffee, with a focus on highlighting the unique characteristics of single-origin beans. They emphasize direct relationships with coffee farmers and are recognized for their commitment to quality and craftsmanship in the specialty coffee industry. Coava has gained a reputation for their clean, precise roasting style and educational approach to coffee. Tasted by [ ![Raymond Brigleb](https://www.gravatar.com/avatar/225614451dc9aee33be11e0f6876c18b?s=120&d=identicon) ](https://unpacking.coffee/users/rbrigleb) [ ![Kandace](https://www.gravatar.com/avatar/fdaa2abead647809a27d8e53f03536f5?s=120&d=identicon) ](https://unpacking.coffee/users/kandace) Watch Episode Read Transcript - [ Coava Coffee ](http://coavacoffee.com) - [ Coava on Instagram ](https://instagram.com/coavacoffee/) - [ Coava on Twitter ](https://twitter.com/coavacoffee) - [ Savor Brands ](http://savorbrands.com) ![Coava Coffee Roasters](/storage/roaster-profiles/70/featured.jpg) THE CONVERSATION Ray: This week ... Kandace: Coava Coffee from Portland, Oregon. Portland. Woo hoo! \*Ray:\*\* Yeah, yeah, right across the river. Kandace: Right across. Ray: You can't see the river ... Kandace: Yeah. Ray: ... but it's there. Kandace: It's right there. Ray: Coava Coffee was founded in 2008 by Matt Higgins out of his garage like any Silicon Valley entrepreneur. Kandace: He puts the Portland twist on it by ... Ray: By doing coffee? Kandace: Well, I think he was like fixing motorcycles ... Ray: Oh right. Kandace: ... and listening to Zeppelin. Ray: This is an Ethiopian, a fantastic Ethiopian. Kandace: Are these the beans? Ray: Those are the beans. I put them out for that added realism, just so people know that we're actually tasting coffee and not drinking every episode. Kandace: Nice. Ray: One of the things that I first remembered about Coava, and they actually address this on their website, is the fact that they sell their bags in 250 gram. Kandace: Yeah. Ray: That was actually ... Kandace: What's that in the metric system? Ray: In English, it's about like 8.8 ounces. Kandace: Yeah. Ray: It's interesting. This is the first time I've heard someone talk about it directly, but their point is that roasters roast in kilos, like kilograms, so if you have a 6 kilo roaster, which this probably came off of, that means you can produce 28 bags, and you don't have waste. You can kind of say this is how much we're going to produce from this batch, which is interesting. I'd never really considered that and I'm not sure how much is wasted, but that's an interesting reasoning for that. Kandace: This is new in the last year or two, correct? Ray: Yeah, mm-hmm (affirmative). Kandace: I thought they used to have maybe red bags or they used to have a different bag. Ray: Yeah, they were different. Kandace: This is different, yeah. Ray: This is a redesign. Kandace: Yeah. Ray: There's a label here which is very, you can feel it. Kandace: Crafty. Ray: Crafty, a crafty label. Kandace: Mm-hmm (affirmative). Ray: A stamp. Apparently the red indicates that it is intended to be drank drip. This is intended to be drank espresso, so they're all single origins, but they ... Kandace: Oh, really? Ray: Yeah. Kandace: They're giving you ... Ray: A little clue. It actually says, but they, when I spoke with them, they pointed that out. Kandace: Yeah, that's great. Are we following, are we doing this the right way? Ray: We're doing it right. Kandace: Okay. Ray: We're doing the drip one. We made it drip. It's got a nice amount of detail with the sort of, the element of texture, sort of an embossed feel to it. Kandace: These bags were designed by Factory North here in Portland. Ray: The company that printed the bags ... Kandace: Savor. Ray: The Savor Brands. Kandace: Yeah. One thing that I think is really interesting about Savor is that they jump in and are a big part of the design process, and so they'll kind of chat through options with you. Paul, what the hell are you doing? Ray: Paul? Kandace: Paul Read. Ray: We'll talk to Paul. Paul: My name is Paul Read, and I work with Savor Brands Package and Print House, and we're a company based in Honolulu, Hawaii. We specialize in printing and converting flexible packaging with an emphasis on specialty coffee. Kandace: What are the trends that are happening right now in coffee package design or trends that you're noticing? Paul: Well, a lot of it is this type of bag here, the stand-up zip pouch with the box bottom. Kandace: Yeah. What is it about the box bottom that you think ... Paul: Because it stands so nicely in retail. Kandace: Yeah. Paul: We've done a few wholesale bags with box bottoms, but it's mostly a retail bag because it requires less maintenance for store owners to keep bags sitting up straight because it doesn't have the seal across the bottom. Kandace: It's just like a really nice displayable. Paul: Great display. Kandace: Yeah. Paul: People are also finding ways to put different text on the bottom and different information that they want people to see, and it's fun. People pick up the bag, and they ... Kandace: Well, thanks so much for chatting with us this week. This is fantastic. Paul: Thank you for ... Watch the Show https://vimeo.com/165817531 THE CONVERSATION Ray: This week ... Kandace: Coava Coffee from Portland, Oregon. Portland. Woo hoo! \*Ray:\*\* Yeah, yeah, right across the river. Kandace: Right across. Ray: You can't see the river ... Kandace: Yeah. Ray: ... but it's there. Kandace: It's right there. Ray: Coava Coffee was founded in 2008 by Matt Higgins out of his garage like any Silicon Valley entrepreneur. Kandace: He puts the Portland twist on it by ... Ray: By doing coffee? Kandace: Well, I think he was like fixing motorcycles ... Ray: Oh right. Kandace: ... and listening to Zeppelin. Ray: This is an Ethiopian, a fantastic Ethiopian. Kandace: Are these the beans? Ray: Those are the beans. I put them out for that added realism, just so people know that we're actually tasting coffee and not drinking every episode. Kandace: Nice. Ray: One of the things that I first remembered about Coava, and they actually address this on their website, is the fact that they sell their bags in 250 gram. Kandace: Yeah. Ray: That was actually ... Kandace: What's that in the metric system? Ray: In English, it's about like 8.8 ounces. Kandace: Yeah. Ray: It's interesting. This is the first time I've heard someone talk about it directly, but their point is that roasters roast in kilos, like kilograms, so if you have a 6 kilo roaster, which this probably came off of, that means you can produce 28 bags, and you don't have waste. You can kind of say this is how much we're going to produce from this batch, which is interesting. I'd never really considered that and I'm not sure how much is wasted, but that's an interesting reasoning for that. Kandace: This is new in the last year or two, correct? Ray: Yeah, mm-hmm (affirmative). Kandace: I thought they used to have maybe red bags or they used to have a different bag. Ray: Yeah, they were different. Kandace: This is different, yeah. Ray: This is a redesign. Kandace: Yeah. Ray: There's a label here which is very, you can feel it. Kandace: Crafty. Ray: Crafty, a crafty label. Kandace: Mm-hmm (affirmative). Ray: A stamp. Apparently the red indicates that it is intended to be drank drip. This is intended to be drank espresso, so they're all single origins, but they ... Kandace: Oh, really? Ray: Yeah. Kandace: They're giving you ... Ray: A little clue. It actually says, but they, when I spoke with them, they pointed that out. Kandace: Yeah, that's great. Are we following, are we doing this the right way? Ray: We're doing it right. Kandace: Okay. Ray: We're doing the drip one. We made it drip. It's got a nice amount of detail with the sort of, the element of texture, sort of an embossed feel to it. Kandace: These bags were designed by Factory North here in Portland. Ray: The company that printed the bags ... Kandace: Savor. Ray: The Savor Brands. Kandace: Yeah. One thing that I think is really interesting about Savor is that they jump in and are a big part of the design process, and so they'll kind of chat through options with you. Paul, what the hell are you doing? Ray: Paul? Kandace: Paul Read. Ray: We'll talk to Paul. Paul: My name is Paul Read, and I work with Savor Brands Package and Print House, and we're a company based in Honolulu, Hawaii. We specialize in printing and converting flexible packaging with an emphasis on specialty coffee. Kandace: What are the trends that are happening right now in coffee package design or trends that you're noticing? Paul: Well, a lot of it is this type of bag here, the stand-up zip pouch with the box bottom. Kandace: Yeah. What is it about the box bottom that you think ... Paul: Because it stands so nicely in retail. Kandace: Yeah. Paul: We've done a few wholesale bags with box bottoms, but it's mostly a retail bag because it requires less maintenance for store owners to keep bags sitting up straight because it doesn't have the seal across the bottom. Kandace: It's just like a really nice displayable. Paul: Great display. Kandace: Yeah. Paul: People are also finding ways to put different text on the bottom and different information that they want people to see, and it's fun. People pick up the bag, and they ... Kandace: Well, thanks so much for chatting with us this week. This is fantastic. Paul: Thank you for ... Watch the Show https://vimeo.com/165817531 Coffee Offerings ------------------ ### [ Meliponas ](https://unpacking.coffee/coffees/138-meliponas) Process Washed Varieties Bourbon, Caturra, Typica Mejorado, Sachimor Country Ecuador Region Loja Source Puyango First noted Apr 30, 2026 Last tasted Apr 30, 2026 1 cupping [ bing cherry ](https://unpacking.coffee/flavors/167 "bing cherry") [ sangria ](https://unpacking.coffee/flavors/201 "sangria") [ raspberry sorbet ](https://unpacking.coffee/flavors/202 "raspberry sorbet") ### [ Sumatra Cindaku ](https://unpacking.coffee/coffees/66-sumatra-cindaku) Process Honey Country Indonesia First noted Sep 18, 2025 Last tasted Sep 20, 2025 2 cuppings [ dried fig ](https://unpacking.coffee/flavors/138 "dried fig") [ fudge ](https://unpacking.coffee/flavors/128 "fudge") [ cinnamon ](https://unpacking.coffee/flavors/45 "cinnamon") [ currant ](https://unpacking.coffee/flavors/137 "currant") ### [ La Llamarada ](https://unpacking.coffee/coffees/58-la-llamarada) Process Natural Species Arabica Varieties Marsellesa Country Nicaragua First noted Sep 14, 2025 Last tasted Sep 14, 2025 1 cupping [ apricot ](https://unpacking.coffee/flavors/4 "apricot") [ almond ](https://unpacking.coffee/flavors/37 "almond") [ milk chocolate ](https://unpacking.coffee/flavors/33 "milk chocolate") ### [ Sacuanjoche ](https://unpacking.coffee/coffees/48-sacuanjoche) Species Arabica Country Nicaragua First noted Sep 09, 2025 Last tasted Sep 09, 2025 1 cupping [ pineapple ](https://unpacking.coffee/flavors/14 "pineapple") [ lemongrass ](https://unpacking.coffee/flavors/106 "lemongrass") [ hay ](https://unpacking.coffee/flavors/67 "hay") [ jasmine ](https://unpacking.coffee/flavors/55 "jasmine") ### [ Lo Mejor de Monserrate ](https://unpacking.coffee/coffees/46-lo-mejor-de-monserrate) Species Arabica Country Colombia First noted Sep 03, 2025 Last tasted Sep 04, 2025 2 cuppings [ bittersweet chocolate ](https://unpacking.coffee/flavors/131 "bittersweet chocolate") [ clove ](https://unpacking.coffee/flavors/47 "clove") [ apricot ](https://unpacking.coffee/flavors/4 "apricot") [ orange peel ](https://unpacking.coffee/flavors/132 "orange peel") [ grapefruit ](https://unpacking.coffee/flavors/20 "grapefruit") ### [ Idiwili ](https://unpacking.coffee/coffees/45-idiwili) Species Arabica Country Tanzania First noted Aug 31, 2025 Last tasted Aug 31, 2025 1 cupping [ poached pear ](https://unpacking.coffee/flavors/129 "poached pear") [ quince ](https://unpacking.coffee/flavors/130 "quince") ### [ Robinson Figueroa ](https://unpacking.coffee/coffees/36-robinson-figueroa) Process Washed Species Arabica Varieties Caturra Country Colombia First noted Aug 01, 2025 Last tasted Aug 01, 2025 1 cupping [ fig ](https://unpacking.coffee/flavors/118 "fig") ### [ Meaza ](https://unpacking.coffee/coffees/15-meaza) Process Washed Species Arabica Varieties Ethiopian Heirlooms First noted Jun 08, 2025 Last tasted Sep 05, 2025 6 cuppings [ black tea ](https://unpacking.coffee/flavors/65 "black tea") [ butterscotch ](https://unpacking.coffee/flavors/32 "butterscotch") [ bergamot ](https://unpacking.coffee/flavors/107 "bergamot") [ cherry ](https://unpacking.coffee/flavors/5 "cherry") [ lemongrass ](https://unpacking.coffee/flavors/106 "lemongrass") ### [ Rayos del Sol ](https://unpacking.coffee/coffees/13-rayos-del-sol) Process Washed Species Arabica Varieties Caturra First noted Jun 04, 2025 Last tasted Jun 07, 2025 3 cuppings [ hibiscus ](https://unpacking.coffee/flavors/59 "hibiscus") [ toffee ](https://unpacking.coffee/flavors/24 "toffee") [ black tea ](https://unpacking.coffee/flavors/65 "black tea") [ passion fruit ](https://unpacking.coffee/flavors/104 "passion fruit") [ hay ](https://unpacking.coffee/flavors/67 "hay") Log In to Cup Log in to your account Enter your email and password to continue Email address Password Remember me Cancel Log in Need an account? [Sign up](https://unpacking.coffee/register) 9 Coffee Offerings 18 Total Cuppings Added 11 months ago Roaster Details Website [ coavacoffee.com ](https://coavacoffee.com) Established 2008 Location City Portland State/Province Oregon Country United States Use filters or recent searches to refine your results. Press Esc to close. Filters 12 showing Users 0 Coffees 0 Roasters 0 Recipes 0 Explore featured coffees Start typing to search across the entire database. [ ### [ Elite Coffee ](https://unpacking.coffee/coffees/152-elite-coffee) by [ unknown ](https://unpacking.coffee/roasters/275-unknown) First noted May 13, 2026 Last tasted May 13, 2026 1 cupping [ milk chocolate ](https://unpacking.coffee/flavors/33 "milk chocolate") [ stone fruit ](https://unpacking.coffee/flavors/125 "stone fruit") [ roasted nuts ](https://unpacking.coffee/flavors/215 "roasted nuts") ](https://unpacking.coffee/coffees/152-elite-coffee) [ ### [ Florida Weather ](https://unpacking.coffee/coffees/151-florida-weather) by [ Mythos Coffee ](https://unpacking.coffee/roasters/274-mythos-coffee) Process Anaerobic Natural, Natural Blend Colombia and Ethiopia First noted May 13, 2026 Last tasted May 13, 2026 1 cupping [ orange ](https://unpacking.coffee/flavors/17 "orange") [ sun-dried raisin ](https://unpacking.coffee/flavors/214 "sun-dried raisin") [ milk chocolate ](https://unpacking.coffee/flavors/33 "milk chocolate") ](https://unpacking.coffee/coffees/151-florida-weather) [ ### [ Tanzania Peaberry ](https://unpacking.coffee/coffees/150-tanzania-peaberry) by [ Knowledge Perk Coffee Company ](https://unpacking.coffee/roasters/273-knowledge-perk-coffee-company) Certifications Rainforest Alliance Process Washed Country Tanzania Region Northern Tanzania First noted May 13, 2026 Last tasted May 13, 2026 1 cupping [ apple ](https://unpacking.coffee/flavors/1 "apple") [ lime ](https://unpacking.coffee/flavors/19 "lime") [ allspice ](https://unpacking.coffee/flavors/213 "allspice") ](https://unpacking.coffee/coffees/150-tanzania-peaberry) [ ### [ Colombia Nariño ](https://unpacking.coffee/coffees/149-colombia-narino) by [ DOMA Coffee Roasting Company ](https://unpacking.coffee/roasters/268-doma-coffee-roasting-company) Certifications Organic Process Washed Varieties Colombia, Castillo, Caturra Country Colombia Region Nariño Harvest 2025 Source La Jacoba (smallholder Farmer Association) First noted May 12, 2026 Last tasted May 12, 2026 1 cupping [ chamomile ](https://unpacking.coffee/flavors/127 "chamomile") [ golden pear ](https://unpacking.coffee/flavors/211 "golden pear") [ maple syrup ](https://unpacking.coffee/flavors/26 "maple syrup") ](https://unpacking.coffee/coffees/149-colombia-narino) [ ### [ Limited Ethiopia Natural ](https://unpacking.coffee/coffees/148-limited-ethiopia-natural) by [ Council Oak Coffee Roasters ](https://unpacking.coffee/roasters/266-council-oak-coffee-roasters) Process Natural Varieties Wild Heirloom Ethiopia Arabica Cultivars Country Ethiopia First noted May 12, 2026 Last tasted May 12, 2026 1 cupping [ nectarine ](https://unpacking.coffee/flavors/126 "nectarine") [ berry ](https://unpacking.coffee/flavors/109 "berry") [ floral ](https://unpacking.coffee/flavors/105 "floral") ](https://unpacking.coffee/coffees/148-limited-ethiopia-natural) [ ### [ Santa Elena Geisha (IYKYK) ](https://unpacking.coffee/coffees/147-santa-elena-geisha-iykyk) by [ Three Oaks Roasting Co ](https://unpacking.coffee/roasters/263-three-oaks-roasting-co) First noted May 12, 2026 Last tasted May 12, 2026 1 cupping [ mandarin orange ](https://unpacking.coffee/flavors/142 "mandarin orange") [ lavender ](https://unpacking.coffee/flavors/57 "lavender") [ strawberry ](https://unpacking.coffee/flavors/7 "strawberry") [ lemongrass ](https://unpacking.coffee/flavors/106 "lemongrass") [ cane sugar ](https://unpacking.coffee/flavors/29 "cane sugar") ](https://unpacking.coffee/coffees/147-santa-elena-geisha-iykyk) [ ### [ Colombia Huila, Santa Maria ](https://unpacking.coffee/coffees/146-colombia-huila-santa-maria) by [ Boonton Coffee Company ](https://unpacking.coffee/roasters/261-boonton-coffee-company) Process Washed Varieties Castillo, Caturra Country Colombia Region Huila Elevation 1500-1600m Harvest 2025 First noted May 12, 2026 Last tasted May 12, 2026 1 cupping [ honey ](https://unpacking.coffee/flavors/22 "honey") [ apricot ](https://unpacking.coffee/flavors/4 "apricot") [ pear ](https://unpacking.coffee/flavors/2 "pear") ](https://unpacking.coffee/coffees/146-colombia-huila-santa-maria) [ ### [ Costa Rica Hellen Mora ](https://unpacking.coffee/coffees/145-costa-rica-hellen-mora) by [ HAYB ](https://unpacking.coffee/roasters/262-hayb) Process Natural Varieties Geisha Country Costa Rica Region Tarrazú Elevation 1800-1900m First noted May 12, 2026 Last tasted May 12, 2026 1 cupping [ cherry ](https://unpacking.coffee/flavors/5 "cherry") [ strawberry ](https://unpacking.coffee/flavors/7 "strawberry") ](https://unpacking.coffee/coffees/145-costa-rica-hellen-mora) [ ### [ Centenario - Edwin Martinez, Guatemala ](https://unpacking.coffee/coffees/144-centenario-edwin-martinez-guatemala) by [ Torque Coffee ](https://unpacking.coffee/roasters/259-torque-coffee) Process Washed Varieties Red Bourbon Country Guatemala Region Huehuetenango Elevation 1600 - 1900m Harvest 2025 Source Edwin Martinez, Finca Vista Hermoa First noted May 11, 2026 Last tasted May 11, 2026 2 cuppings [ lemon ](https://unpacking.coffee/flavors/18 "lemon") [ floral ](https://unpacking.coffee/flavors/105 "floral") [ milk chocolate ](https://unpacking.coffee/flavors/33 "milk chocolate") [ sweet ](https://unpacking.coffee/flavors/171 "sweet") [ lingering finish ](https://unpacking.coffee/flavors/209 "lingering finish") ](https://unpacking.coffee/coffees/144-centenario-edwin-martinez-guatemala) [ ### [ Finca El Mirador Washed Sidra ](https://unpacking.coffee/coffees/143-finca-el-mirador-washed-sidra) by [ Chuck's Roast Coffee ](https://unpacking.coffee/roasters/258-chucks-roast-coffee) Process Washed Varieties Bourbon Sidra Country Colombia Region Huila Source Finca El Mirador First noted May 11, 2026 Last tasted May 11, 2026 1 cupping ](https://unpacking.coffee/coffees/143-finca-el-mirador-washed-sidra) [ ### [ Bolivia, Caranavi ](https://unpacking.coffee/coffees/142-bolivia-caranavi) by [ Mother Tongue Coffee ](https://unpacking.coffee/roasters/257-mother-tongue-coffee) Source Illimani Mountain First noted May 11, 2026 Last tasted May 11, 2026 1 cupping [ caramel ](https://unpacking.coffee/flavors/23 "caramel") [ nougat ](https://unpacking.coffee/flavors/31 "nougat") [ milk chocolate ](https://unpacking.coffee/flavors/33 "milk chocolate") [ honey ](https://unpacking.coffee/flavors/22 "honey") ](https://unpacking.coffee/coffees/142-bolivia-caranavi) [ ### [ Kenya Nyawira AA ](https://unpacking.coffee/coffees/141-kenya-nyawira-aa) by [ Heart Coffee Roasters ](https://unpacking.coffee/roasters/47-heart-coffee-roasters) Process Washed Varieties SL28, SL34 Country Kenya Region Embu Elevation 1400m First noted May 11, 2026 Last tasted May 11, 2026 1 cupping [ black currant ](https://unpacking.coffee/flavors/207 "black currant") [ rose hips ](https://unpacking.coffee/flavors/208 "rose hips") [ molasses ](https://unpacking.coffee/flavors/25 "molasses") ](https://unpacking.coffee/coffees/141-kenya-nyawira-aa)