87+SCA
Specialty Bronze Coffee: The Power of Maceration
Macerated fruitsPanelaRipe grape
$26.99
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Roasted to order
Premium Coffee
Our three highest-scoring lots: Bronze, Silver and Gold. Each scores 87+ on the SCA scale, comes from one family farm in Antioquia, Colombia, and is roasted to order, whole bean or ground.
87+ SCAOur three top-scoring lots
One single farmHacienda Las Mercedes
Roasted to orderShipped within 48 hours
U.S. shippingShipping is calculated at checkout
87+SCA
Silver Specialty Coffee: Exoticism and Tropical Sweetness
CoconutVanillaWhite fruits
$26.99
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Roasted to order
87+SCA
Gold Specialty Coffee: The Treasure of Hacienda Las Mercedes
HibiscusJasmineSubtle red fruits
$36.99
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Roasted to order
Side by side
Compare our premium coffees
Three lots from the same farm. Every bag holds 8.5 oz (240 g), whole bean or ground for your brewer.
| Lot | Process | Roast | Tasting notes | Best for | SCA score | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Specialty Bronze Coffee: The Power of Maceration | Honey, extended maceration | Medium | Macerated fruits, Panela, Ripe grape | Pour-over or French press | 87+ | $26.99 |
| Silver Specialty Coffee: Exoticism and Tropical Sweetness | Honey | Medium | Coconut, Vanilla, White fruits | V60 or Chemex | 87+ | $26.99 |
| Gold Specialty Coffee: The Treasure of Hacienda Las Mercedes | Not specified | Medium-light | Hibiscus, Jasmine, Subtle red fruits | V60 | 87+ | $36.99 |
Buying guide
What makes a coffee premium?
Premium coffee is a label anyone can print on a bag, so we tie it to things you can check. Coffee that scores 80 points or more on the Specialty Coffee Association's 100-point scale counts as specialty coffee. Bronze, Silver and Gold each score 87+, the highest of our six lots.
Traceable to one farm. All three are grown at Hacienda Las Mercedes in Ciudad Bolívar, Antioquia, at 5,900 ft (1,800 m), and picked by hand in six selective passes. The same fourth-generation family grows, mills and roasts the coffee, with no middlemen. That is what we mean by premium Colombian coffee: you know the farm, the people and the lot.
Roasted when you order. A high score means little if the coffee sat in a warehouse. We roast to order, ship within 48 hours and vacuum seal every 8.5 oz (240 g) bag. Choose whole bean, or have it ground fine, medium or coarse for your brewer.
How to choose. Go by tasting notes. Bronze: macerated fruits, panela and ripe grape. Silver: coconut, vanilla and white fruits. Gold combines three varietals, Geisha, Java and Wush Wush, with hibiscus and jasmine notes and a medium-light roast; Bronze and Silver are medium roast. Processing shapes those flavors, as we explain in natural vs. washed vs. honey coffee.
More from the farm. If you want premium coffee beans to grind at home, the same lots are in our specialty coffee beans collection. The full six-lot range is under Colombian specialty coffee, and our guide to the best Colombian coffee beans explains what to look for when you buy.
Brew guide
How to brew premium coffee
Use water at 195–205 °F (90–96 °C) and a 1:16.5 coffee-to-water ratio. For Gold we go slightly hotter: 200–205 °F (93–96 °C).
Pour-over (V60, Chemex)
The method we recommend for all three lots. It gives a clean cup that lets the tasting notes come through.
medium grind · Bronze, Silver, GoldFrench press
A fuller-bodied cup. Of the three lots, this is the one we also recommend for Bronze.
coarse grind · BronzeAeroPress
Start at medium. Go slightly finer if you want a shorter, stronger brew.
medium grindEspresso & moka pot
Grind fine. These are medium and medium-light roasts, so expect a brighter shot than with a dark roast.
fine grind
Hacienda Las MercedesCiudad Bolívar · Antioquia · 5,900 ft (1,800 m)
The farm
Premium coffee from one family farm
Green Hills is a fourth-generation coffee family. We grow, mill and roast every lot ourselves at Hacienda Las Mercedes, above Ciudad Bolívar in Antioquia, Colombia. There are no brokers and no warehouse blends: Bronze, Silver and Gold come from one farm and were picked by hand in six selective passes.
4thGeneration of growers
5,900 ftAltitude (1,800 m)
6×Selective hand-picking passes
Questions, answered
Premium coffee FAQ
What is premium coffee?
There is no official definition of premium coffee, so we use one you can measure: coffee that scores well above the 80-point specialty threshold on the SCA scale, is traceable to a single farm and is roasted to order. Bronze, Silver and Gold each score 87+.
What makes these three lots premium?
They are the three highest-scoring of our six lots, at 87+ each. All three are grown at 5,900 ft (1,800 m) at Hacienda Las Mercedes, picked by hand in six selective passes and roasted after you order. Gold combines three varietals: Geisha, Java and Wush Wush.
What is the difference between premium, specialty and gourmet coffee?
Specialty has a technical meaning: 80 points or more on the Specialty Coffee Association's 100-point scale. Premium and gourmet are marketing terms with no standard behind them, which is why we publish the score of every lot. Read more in what is specialty coffee.
Which premium coffee should I start with?
Go by tasting notes. Bronze has macerated fruits, panela and ripe grape. Silver has coconut, vanilla and white fruits. Gold has hibiscus, jasmine and subtle red fruits, with a medium-light roast. The comparison table above puts the three side by side.
Can I buy premium coffee whole bean or ground?
Both. Each lot comes as whole bean or ground fine, medium or coarse, and you choose on the product page. If you grind at home, the same lots are in our specialty coffee beans collection. Not sure about the grind? See what grind size you need for your method.
How big is a bag, and how does shipping work?
Each bag holds 8.5 oz (240 g). We roast to order and ship within 48 hours. Shipping is calculated at checkout.
87+
SCA cupping scores
Bronze, Silver and Gold each score 87+ on the SCA scale.
48h
Roasted to order
We roast after you order and ship within 48 hours.
1
One single farm
Every lot is traceable to Hacienda Las Mercedes in Antioquia, Colombia.