Virtual Coffee Tasting with Triple Coffee Co.

Living in the greater Seattle area, some might say I live in the coffee capital of the United States, especially living in the shadow of Starbucks HQ.  I do love my morning cup of joe and was very excited when I was contacted by the PR folks for Triple Coffee Co. to experience a virtual Valentine’s Day coffee tasting with the CEO, Tim Melano, champion barista coach, Federico Bolanos and coffee farmers Amílcar Lopez and  Yorlan Giron (who joined us from Honduras).

While Tim, Federico, Amílcar and Yorlan sat down and spoke to us on the Valentine’s Day ZOOM call from the gorgeous mountains of Central America, my roommate, Mishana and I tasted the coffees I was sent with almost 9 inches of snow outside. Needless to say, I was a tad jealous of Tim sitting atop a volcano in San Salvador surrounded by the trees of a coffee farm and squawking birds while I couldn’t even back my car out of my driveaway because of all the snow!

Triple Coffee is the first-ever coffee technology startup that connects small-farm producers in Honduras to the global coffee community through “Farm to Cup” delivery services and innovative guided virtual tastings with coffee farmers. On a mission to take transparency in the Third Wave coffee movement further than it’s ever been before, Bay Area-based engineer turned coffee entrepreneur, Tim Melano, has applied the experience and relationships he made during his seven years working in Silicon Valley to produce a revolutionary series of Virtual Coffee Tastings and exclusive award-winning coffee, that have taken the Bay Area by storm.

Triple Coffee started as an in-person coffee club in the Marina district of San Francisco in November 2019 as a way to connect small-farm coffee producers in Honduras with coffee enthusiasts in the US. As the pandemic ground activities to a halt, Melano adapted his plans and launched an innovative Virtual Tastings series to continue the company’s mission. For each tasting, Triple Coffee delivers a bag of its award-winning single-origin coffee and instructions to make the best possible cup in the comfort of their own kitchen with a few simple pieces of equipment you would expect to have at home. The groundbreaking component of each event is that the actual producer who farmed that very micro-lot of coffee is present for the tasting. Broadcasting live from their Honduran farm with gorgeous, lush, rolling green hills of coffee trees as a backdrop, the coffee farmer is invited to explain their farming practices and in turn, they are able to experience the satisfaction, awe and gratitude from each inspired coffee consumer as they taste the fruit of their labor. First operating only by word of mouth, in the midst of California’s Safer-at-Home order, Triple Coffee and its Virtual Tastings quickly took off as an innovative way for major companies like Google, Apple, YouTube, Snapchat and Salesforce to connect virtually while working from home.

I was sent three coffee samples for the virtual tasting, the Divine Espresso, Japanese Exclusive and Pacamara Natural. The samples all came in very convenient pour-over filter pouches with specific instructions on when to boil the water before the tasting and how much water was needed (6 ounces).  With our water boiled and three coffee mugs lined up, we were ready to learn about Triple Coffee Co. and virtually meet Tim and the crew!

The Japanese Exclusive Red Catuai (Washed) coffee comes from Finca Cruz Grande in Las Flores, Honduras and was ranked Second on Coffee Review of Central American Coffees. The Divine Espresso Pacas Washed is from the Los Primos farm in El Cielito, Santa Barbara. The Pacamara Natural from Finca Las Botijas in Comayagua, Honduras, has won 2016, 2017 Best of Honduras Late Harvest, and was the 2018 Cup of Excellence finalist. It was also recently selected as a Good Food Award winner in the coffee category.

I can see why the Pacamara has won so many awards – I fell in love with it immediately upon smell and taste. Mishana loved the Divine Espresso and we both really enjoyed the fruitiness of the Japanese Exclusive. I love the Pacamara so much, I want to buy more for my boyfriend Kyle to try but alas, as of this writing, it’s currently sold out!

I highly recommend checking Triple Coffee Co. out and bringing your friends in for one of their virtual coffee tastings. To virtually meet the CEO as well as those who made the coffee that’s in your cup is an experience you won’t get anywhere else and is a perfect way to spend some time with your friends in a COVID-friendly virtual environment. Mishana and I also now want to work with Tim and plan a trip with him to  Honduras to film another episode of the Lesley & Mishana Show so we can meet all the coffee farmers ourselves!

Sign up now for your own Triple Coffee Co. virtual tasting: https://triplecoffee.co/products/virtual-coffee-tasting