This variety, a hybrid which crosses Sarchimor - itself a hybrid of the arabica and robusta coffee species, coffee leaf rust resistant but sometimes having a lower cup quality compared with more susceptible varieties -and Rume Sudan, a stabilised Ethiopian landrace known for a high cup quality, bright juicy acidity and floral aromatics, the Milenio F1 hybrid has high yield, high disease resistance, is tolerant to a wider range of conditions than pure arabica varieties and has an incredible taste in the cup. Changing climate conditions threaten to make many coffee producing regions no longer suitable for the growth of arabica coffee, devestating a cash crop many depend on for their livelihood.

F1 hybrids are more difficult to propagate at a farm level - they are not genetically stable and thusly cannot be grown by seed, they must be cloned at a nursery. This can make it difficult to put them into the hands of farmers, but once established the are quite vigorous and out perform many traditional varieties.

BREWING GUIDE

We've loved brewing this coffee in our QC lab, looking for the best way to emphasis the dense sticky sweetness and tropical fruit acidity. We suggest using a Kalita 185, using 25g of coffee ground medium fine. Bloom your coffee with 80g of water, a stir, and 45 seconds of waiting, before gently pouring another 300g of water over 2 minutes. Finish with lifting and gently tapping the brewer vertically to level the coffee bed and ensure an even extraction.

We've also been putting this coffee in heavy rotation through our moccamaster batch-brewer, with a starting ratio of 60g per litre and soft, clean water producing a lively cup.