Craftsmanship

A Craftsmanship

Before reaching the cup, the coffee takes a long journey. The working process that, starting from harvesting in the plantations brings it to your homes, is long and complex; for each processing phase, the care, competence and above all the passion of the people who work it are decisive.

1. The choice of the grain

It all starts with the choice of the bean: only grade 1 coffee, to guarantee the highest quality. This is also in order to prevent the formation of ochratoxin, a substance that develops in green plants left in a humid condition, which is not eliminated even with processing.

2. The extraction of the grain

When the berries of the coffee plant, called “drupes”, are fully ripe, they are harvested and dried in the sun using a natural method, to reduce acidity. The extraction of the grain takes place after the berry is dried in the sun, then with the beating the dry part is separated from the grain.

3. The journey and the selection of beans

Already during the journey, high-quality coffee must be handled with great care and attention; the raw beans are placed in jute bags, which ensure proper ventilation during the journey, so that the product remains intact and no condensation and mold develop.
In fact, to ensure the best storage conditions, the beans are never transported in bulk or placed in silos for storage and processing. Once arrived at their destination, the beans are put to rest in the warehouse, placed in the bags, until the moment of processing. According to the quality of the beans, they are divided for roasting, according to the variety, the origin, the harvest, each grain requires different cooking times and is toasted with the care necessary to be cooked at best and never burned.

4. The roasting: slow and artisanal

We still use a 50s Petroncini machine — tradition doesn’t get more authentic than this! Within its great rotating drum the beans undergo increasing stages of heat and slowly begin to develop.

Artisan roasting is “nose-monitored”. Only a slow process allows the acidic water within the beans to sublimate without burning.

Once they reach 100°C the beans dry and acquire a golden colour. At over 150-180°C they increase in volume, become shinier and lose their typical brownish colour. At 200°C they
lose weight, become brittle and begin to lose carbon dioxide.

Gauging the perfect roasting point for a bean is an art which roasters pass down from one generation to the next. It is but a moment that only the most expert roaster endowed with the most exquisite sensitivity is able to grasp. It is made of aroma, colour, shine and sound. Yes, sound: an ear is also needed for roasting. It is said that when coffee is at its roasting peak it “sings” — an unmistakable sound is issued. That is the exact point when it needs to be taken out and quickly cooled.

5. The rest of the grain

As with all processes, roasting is not the end for our bean. The loss of carbon dioxide which begins at roasting needs to continue, as it is this maturing stage which allows essential oils to fully express themselves.

We allow our coffee time to rest so it may tell its full story. The beans rest in clean and constantly washed cotton sacks in which are able to mature in dark, closed, well-aired but warm environments. All this happens because the bean needs to rest in order to fully express its precious oiliness. Depending on provenance, the resting phase may last between three and five weeks. When the bean has produced its natural oil it once again acquires its luminosity and is ready for packaging. And this final stage too is carried out without injuring its organoleptic properties.

Our packaging was created to safeguard quality: paper outside, and within a micropore aluminate film allowing air circulation and impeding contact with fermented gases.

Each roasted bean contains a world of nuances to discover.

In coffee we recognise up to 800 different notes:
leather, caramel, toasted bread, almond, blackcurrant, chocolate, barrique wine, coriander seeds, cloves, walnut, butter, vanilla, citrus fruit, prune, date, fig, apricot, jasmine, meadow flowers.

Allow it to surprise you in adifferent way every day.

Describing the quality of a product as complex as coffee is like portraying someone's life story.

To grasp what they are today we need to know their origins, the places they have lived in, the journeys and the experiences which formed and influenced them. The
values inspiring them and the choices making them absolutely unique.

Each person is unique and we want to tell the story of our own unique coffee.

Our beans.

Each bean has a story to tell.

Our beans carry tales of passion, they evoke the fragrance of the best plantations, artful roasting in line with tradition and the right time frames so that each one may release its best aroma in the right way, at the right moment.

Our beans are the result of a search for excellence and artisan knowledge encompassing three generations.

Our beans originate from the best growing areas of the world. Our supply chain is able to operate flexibly so as to adjust to annual variations. This means we are always able to operate in those places where the best climate conditions exist, guaranteeing a first-rate crop.

As for wine, coffee too does not thrive in all climates. Some years do not yield ideal conditions in some areas. Hence our blend selection is constantly monitored so as to guarantee consistent quality and flavour over time. Appropriately separated before roasting. Each bean requires different roasting times and this is done with meticulous attention
so none are burned.

The Ottobono Panther

Its fragrance reveals a secret and complex soul.Expressions pertaining to its strength and graceful sensuousness are what activate experiences and emotions within us. The choice of a panther as a symbol of our coffee is no mere chance. She evokes its places of origin, the wild nature imbued with unique and extremely diverse sensory experiences. And the entire mystery of coffee. A panther expresses the embodiment of the powerful and the mysterious. She ismore secretive, different from other felines. A panther is capable of more than a physical reaction. Her response is psychic, mental and in tune with other dimensions. According to ancient beliefs, her exceptional sensitivity allows her to capture what humans require in times of transition and change. What needs to be awoken, transformed. Or reactivated, regenerated and strengthened. When we say that coffee is feeling we also refer to the complicity which this extraordinary drink allows us to establish with ourselves and others. We also refer to that very personal sensual pleasure, that delicate or bolder flash of refreshment giving us balance and wellbeing. The wealth of aromatic footprints in a quality coffee revealing itself make every cup a unique pleasure, a continuous discovery to be reiterated again and again.