Hillside Blend

Our one and only blend! When I started Hillside Coffee back in 2020 I was very out of love with blends, I felt like they were all pretty boring and they mostly tasted the same. 
Now a few years down the line, we have a blend that I’m happy with!

The Taste:

Without milk: stewed plums, maple syrup, dark chocolate

With milk: maple syrup, milk chocolate, mixed berry jam

The Coffees:

The current iteration of the blend is half each of these gorgeous coffees sourced by our friends at Volcafe:

1. Sìtio Cachoeirão, Brazil, Washed

2. Botijas, Honduras, Washed

Sìtio Cachoeirão

The Brazilian element of our blend is from Sìtio Cachoeirão, which is owned and managed by Eduardo Zanotti Guerra. The Fazenda is located in Alto Caparaó, Itaguaçu, Espírito Santo. The farm sits at an altitude ranging from 850 to 1,100 meters above sea level and produces 800 bags of coffee annually.

The farm's workforce consists of five families. Sítio Cachoeirão utilises caixas secas (technically dimensioned reservoirs built on roadsides to capture rainwater) and created and expanded reserve areas dedicated to conservation of the local wildlife and vegetation.

Eduardo Zanotti Guerra's family has a rich history in coffee farming. His great-grandparents, originally from Nervessa Della Battaglia, Italy, arrived in Rio deJaneiro in 1888 and settled in Minas Gerais to work in the coffee plantations. Eduardo's father worked as an agronomist in Colatina and later in Itaguacu,where he met Eduardo's mother, also a coffee producer of Italian descent. Eduardo has been an agronomist and farmer since graduating from Ufes in 1986. He started working in coffee production with his father on a small coffee estate in Alto Caparão, Itaguaçu, Espírito Santo. Today, Eduardo continues his father's legacy, striving to do his best on his coffee farm.

Eduardo is particularly proud of the technique he uses, which consists of harvesting the coffee and getting it fully washed as quickly as possible, usually within 4 to 5 hours of harvesting, avoiding any long rest period. This process has significantly improved the quality of their coffee and Eduardo finds the taste of their coffee smooth and the aroma very pleasant and sweet. He always keeps a bag of coffee for his own consumption and often shares it with friends.

Sítio Cachoeirão stands out for its commitment to best practices for harvesting and drying, ensuring the production of high-quality coffee.

Las Botijas

Regional Botijas coffee is grown in the mountainous region of Las Botijas, in La Villa de San Antonio, Comayagua, Honduras. This coffee is cultivated by dedicated smallholder farmers whose livelihoods are deeply rooted in coffee production. The region’s geography, with its ideal altitude and cool climate, provides the perfect conditions for growing high-quality beans. Combined with careful agronomic practices, these factors result in a cup profile that is complex, vibrant, and well-balanced.

Sustainability is central to the work of the coffee farmers in this region with practices designed to [protect both bean quality and the surrounding ecosystem.

Las Botijas is a rural community known for its natural beauty and cultural heritage. Visitors are drawn to its scenic waterfalls, such as El Salto del Ángeland Las Campañas, and its mountain trails that are ideal for eco-tourism. The area retains its traditional architecture, with adobe houses and clay tile roofs, and continues to use ox carts for transportation. In addition to coffee, the region’s climate supports the cultivation of vegetables and avocados. Regional Botijas coffee embodies the best of Honduran specialty coffee. It offers a distinctive flavour profile, reflects a deep commitment to sustainability and quality, and tells a story of passion, tradition, and local development.