Timdrinkscoffee

We’ve all had a ‘bad’ cup of coffee, but when was the last time you paid attention to what that unpleasant taste actually was. Does the coffee taste like rubber? Like medicine? Is it rough? Does it taste sour?

Defects affect flavor in different ways. Some have very pronounced effects. Others are barely detectable. We cupped all sorts of defects to train our tongues at identifying what went wrong in the cup. Heather scored 100% at identifying defects. I’m still trying to catch up!

Defects are easy to point out when the coffee is still green. Identifying them visually becomes a challenge once the coffee is already roasted, but if you look closely at the hopper, you may still be able to point them out.

Nonetheless, a coffee’s flavor doesn’t lie. Next time you taste something off in your cup, pull up this list and try to identify what might have gone wrong.

Coffee soon,

Tim

Calling all Robusta Graders, Cuppers, and Roasters! We need your specialized expertise for the Southern Luzon Coffee Quality Competition this July 26–31, 2026, at the Barista & Coffee Academy of Asia (BCAA), Brgy. Tunasan, Muntinlupa City. This is your exclusive chance to get the very first taste of the region's finest beans, calibrate with fellow industry experts, and play a defining role in elevating our local coffee scene.

Help us honor the incredible hard work of our local farmers from bean to cup! Slots for this technical team are highly selective and limited, so secure your spot today by applying on or before June 30 through the link:

tinyurl.com/slcqc2026
tinyurl.com/slcqc2026
tinyurl.com/slcqc2026

Your expertise, your precision—their hard work rewarded. Let’s elevate Southern Luzon coffee together!

We have all kinds of roasting talent here in the Philippines. Inventors. Technicians. Roasting champions. I wanted to understand this part of the chain from the inside, so I brought this Ailio Bullet home to put some roasting reps in.

On our mission to advocate and push for sustainability in Philippine coffee, roasting is essential. When roasters can show a producer the full range of what their coffee is capable of, it changes how that producer understands and prices their own work.

Thank you .ph for lending me this roaster, and for letting me burn through beans at the showroom. If you’re interested in roasting for yourself, shoot me a message. I’d be happy to connect you to the right people so you can start on your own roasting journey.

Coffee soon,

Tim

How did a coffee from Ethiopia find its way to Pangantucan, Bukidnon? 

There are a few local legends about it. Some attribute it to Japanese soldiers in WWII. Others claim coffee was endemic to these forests. But one particular legend piqued my interest. 

When slaves were traded around the world, African women would braid seeds in their hair. Seeds were insurance. The slaves could plant no matter where they would end up. Records from this time in Philippine history are sparse, and the extent to which colonial countries traded African slaves isn’t well documented. But genetic testing reveals that the arabica coffee grown around this lake is 100% Ethiopian Landrace. This coffee, locally called ‘sweet coffee,’ has been cultivated by local indigenous communities for centuries.

After a full week of processing coffee, Heather and I floated on this balsa to the middle of the lake for a morning brew. Part of discovering new origins for us is getting as close to them as possible. When you’re here, you’ll discover just how easy it is to love your origin. 

This lake is more than picturesque scenery. It shapes the entire farm’s ecosystem, and draws biodiversity to itself, facilitating pollination, micro-climate stability, and coffee quality. This coffee was born in Ethiopia, but it’s been cultivated here in the Philippines, stamped with the Philippine signature of Lake Napalit.

And Lake Napalit’s stamp brings out the best in this coffee. It’s absolutely delicious. Jasmine. Lemongrass. Strawberries. A family favourite since we first discovered the brand.

Drinking this coffee is an experience of the culture and the communities who’ve preserved and refined the best of Philippine coffee. 

Coffee soon,

Tim

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z1H_DXYjY0Q

EXPLORING A COFFEE FARMING TOWN IN THE PHILIPPINES | Knowing Our Origins: San Elias, Sigay I’ve been following the story of this community of coffee farmers in San Elias since last year’s Philippine Coffee Quality Competition. When a number of farm...

My first taste of specialty coffee was in Makati. The city hosts some of the Philippines most established specialty coffee brands, and everyone is constantly innovating, introducing new experiences, coffees, events, and more. The cafes on this list show the range of the city’s coffee culture. 

There are cafes in brutalist buildings. There are cafes specializing in pourovers from award-winning international origins. And some cafes that serve some of my favourite Philippine beans. Pick any spot. I know you won’t be disappointed. 

For more information on each spot, check out the series posted on our page. 

Coffee soon,
Tim





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I remember watching Ros Juan’s feature on Rappler about Philippine coffee. I’d been a Commune customer for years, but I’d never really paid attention to the work they were doing or the coffee they were serving. That interview was one of the first pieces of content that made me think about what was actually in my cup. The curiosity it sparked has since grown into an entire family-run journey exploring Philippine coffee and its culture.

Ros was doing this before most people cared. When few people were looking for Philippine coffee, she built Commune as a café that served only 100% Philippine beans. That alone was a statement about her belief in Filipino coffee.

Ros is also the Philippine chapter chair of the International Women’s Coffee Alliance, a global network that supports women across the entire coffee supply chain. 

An estimated 70% of the people working in coffee globally are women. Yet in many producing countries, the farms are registered in the names of their husbands. And many women in coffee around the world can’t sign legal documents, can’t open bank accounts, and can’t have their names on land titles. They’re doing the work, but just not getting the credit.

“Precisely because there’s such a big chunk of the community,” Ros told me, “but their needs are often unmet and they’re largely unseen.”

In the Philippines, Ros says, women producers have more space than in many other producing countries. But the infrastructure still needs to be built. 

Her advice to young women entering the industry: don’t wait until you feel ready. Seek out people to talk to. Attend the events. The industry can seem intimidating from the outside, but a lot of the people in it, including herself, will talk about coffee to no end if you give them the chance.

If you’re a woman in Philippine coffee: competing, judging, farming, roasting, or just starting out,  Ros wants to hear from you. And so do we!

Coffee soon,
Tim