July greetings from the roastery
- henrik643
- Jul 2
- 3 min read
German Roasting Champion
Earlier this year, our head roaster, Ellie Dunlop, won the German Coffee Roasting Championship. This win makes them the first non-binary person to hold this title as well as the first non-cis-male to win. We are extremely proud of this achievement and their constant drive to mastering their profession. The competition was held in March in the Probat coffee roaster manufacturer's factory in Emmerich. 14 participants were selected to compete out of all participants.
Last week, Ellie was representing the SCA body of Germany in hte World Coffee Roasting Championships as one of the 28 national winners who made it to Brussels.
Special releases: SL-9 & Panama Geisha
Incahuasi - Peru SL9 is highly praised and sough after variety thats genetics are still somewhat undetermined. Also known as the Inca Gesha, this variety was long assumed to be simply Gesha. The cup profile is uncannily similar, and the outer appearance is a close match with notes of jasmin, white florals, delicate herbals, sweet stone fruits and tea-like qualities.
This variety is very specific to the Incahuasi district in the Cusco region of Peru. Our good friends, Ruben and Justin, from APU coffee, work here with a local cooperativa, that we visited last November. The farms sit at an altitude of well above 2000 meters and are not easy to reach. But the coffees and the views are absolutely worth the two-day drive along the narrow mountain roads. Here, many varieties that are regarded as difficult to cultivate elsewhere, thrive naturally without much intervention.
We are currently roasting five coffees from this area. Eudis Orosco - SL9
Coffee and Donuts for your flight
Brammibal's Donuts, the Berlin's famous vegan donut shop chain, just opened a shop in the Berlin Airport and now we are actually looking forward to flying. This also means, that you have a chance to get Populus Coffee, both as a drink and in beans before your flight.
Brammibal's Donuts opened their first brick and mortar location on Maybachufer a couple months after us. They have been our coffee partners and good friends ever since we started roasting. Their coffee menu has always been forward-thinking, open-minded and interesting with rotating filter coffee option and their own house blend for espresso.
Next time you are travelling, we recommend getting a couple of donuts and some coffee with you on the flight. Find their shop in Terminal 1, after the security check at the Marketplace.
Ten years of working with friends
2026 for Populus marks a special milestone as we are turning 10 years.
Our first Birthday coffee release came from Dolmin Moreno from Honduras, one of our longest term partners. His Pacas variety was on the very first pallet we ordered back in 2016 making him an obvious choice for a celebratory release.
Looking back these past ten years, many great moments and accomplishments, we are always the proudest of the longevity of our relationships and all the partnerships and friendships we have made. Working directly with people we like and respect was the biggest reason for us to start a specialty coffee business, and these relationships are a true testament to our work and doing something right. Our next Birthday coffee release will be announced soon.
