Colombian Washed Castillo SOE Review: A Super Clean Espresso from ARGCAFEE in Cauca

 Most of my long posts in February were dedicated to café hopping in Australia. During the month I spent there, I once again found myself marveling at the incredible richness—and rarity—of the green coffee resources available in Australia. If you are a coffee enthusiast who truly values the terroir and regional character of coffee, I strongly recommend putting Australia on your travel list.

Among the many cafés I visited, Veneziano Coffee left a particularly deep impression on me. They are the kind of roaster that seems to “hunt” for beans from highly specific micro-regions. In their shop, you’ll find several house espresso blends as well as multiple SOEs permanently on the menu, and each one has its own distinctive flavor profile and memorable character. It’s no surprise that they’ve been listed among the World’s Top 100 Coffee Shops.

At the time, I bought a bag of beans that could be used both for pour-over and as an SOE. The beans come from the ARGCAFEE cooperative in Cauca, Colombia, and they are a washed Castillo.

When people talk about “washed Colombian coffee,” they rarely emphasize the variety. Castillo—often translated simply as “Castillo” in Chinese—is a variety that doesn’t display extremely distinctive characteristics like Geisha or Caturra. Instead, its flavor expression relies heavily on the terroir and the processing method. Overall, Castillo is a highly expressive and versatile variety.

Take washed Castillo as an example: it typically presents clean and bright citrus notes, which is also the most classic processing style you’ll find for Castillo on the market today. This style highlights the variety’s acidity potential inherited from its Caturra lineage. Castillo is commonly grown in Colombia’s Cauca and Huila regions, and it frequently appears in espresso blends or SOEs, often displaying flavors such as chocolate, citrus fruits, and cane sugar sweetness.

Many people assume that Castillo is an average-quality variety, but that perception isn’t entirely fair. When grown at sufficiently high altitudes and processed properly, Castillo can reach the quality level of Caturra or Bourbon. In fact, under certain experimental processing methods, it can even deliver more striking sweetness and intensity than traditional varieties.

The SOE I’m sharing today is a great example. It comes from the ARGCAFEE cooperative, and their story deserves special attention. In today’s almost dreamlike Colombian coffee landscape—where hype and trends often dominate—ARGCAFEE feels like one of the few refreshing and genuine exceptions. Their story genuinely moved me.

ARGCAFEE is located in the Argelia region of Colombia, and the name itself is a combination of the two words. In 2014, 17 coffee farmers from the remote areas of Argelia in Cauca came together to form the cooperative. Their goal was simple: to find better markets and better prices for their high-quality coffee. In many ways, it was a classic case of farmers “banding together for warmth.”

Today, the cooperative has grown to more than 230 members, with about 150 farmers actively involved in coffee cultivation and production. In the video associated with the cooperative, the main speaker is the founder of ARGCAFEE, who recounts how the organization grew from a small grassroots initiative into the influential cooperative it is today.

Many cooperatives in coffee-producing regions carry a strong sense of social responsibility. Whether it’s fair trade initiatives or gender equality programs, these efforts represent real change happening at the origin. From community culture to management practices, these initiatives ultimately contribute to improving coffee quality as well. The goal is not only to allow more people to drink high-quality coffee, but also to help consumers better understand the land and communities behind it.

ARGCAFEE has implemented several significant initiatives and, in my opinion, stands out among many cooperatives. One of their most important projects is a coca crop substitution program, created in partnership with Café Imports and Banexport. In the past, some local farmers planted illegal coca crops in pursuit of higher profits. This program offers them a viable alternative by encouraging profitable coffee cultivation instead.

Through the program, the cooperative helps farmers access markets, provides agronomic support, ensures higher and more stable prices, and enables them to participate in legal trade channels. Ultimately, this initiative helps local communities reduce economic dependence on illegal crops.

In addition, ARGCAFEE launched a Women Coffee Producers Program. This program provides financial incentives for female coffee producers and promotes their role in the coffee industry by empowering women within the coffee supply chain. Gender inequality has historically been common in coffee-growing regions, which is why you’ll often see coffee lots labeled as being produced by women farmers.

These initiatives promote equal employment opportunities and recognition for women in agriculture. Currently, 78 female producers contribute through ARGCAFEE’s program, creating sustainable opportunities for women in what has traditionally been a male-dominated industry.

Now let’s talk about the coffee itself.

When you open the bag, you’ll immediately notice how plump and uniform the beans look. Honestly, they just look delicious. After grinding, the dry aroma reveals a very clear and vibrant citrus fragrance, giving off a light and refreshing vibe, along with a hint of milk chocolate.

The roast level is medium-light, which sometimes makes people worry that an SOE might lack crema. But in my extractions, the crema turned out to be both rich and aromatic. The wet aroma carried notes reminiscent of sweet orange soda and nutty chocolate.

The espresso shot itself opens with a lively balance of acidity and sweetness. The moment it touches your tongue, the bright acidity instantly lights up your taste buds—seriously refreshing. Then a caramel sweetness rises to soften the sharpness of the acidity, bringing the mid-palate into a balanced and gentle harmony.

The most impressive part is how clean it tastes no matter how you extract it. The roasting style and technique are truly outstanding, greatly increasing the margin for error during brewing—something I always appreciate in a coffee I love. In my tasting notes, I even highlighted it in colored pen with the words “super clean.” It really deserves that label.

For milk-based drinks, I tried making both a dirty coffee and a latte.

In the latte, I noticed a silky texture reminiscent of cream cake, incredibly smooth and well balanced, with a comforting and gentle character. The body is solid, and the sweetness is wonderfully pronounced.

In the dirty coffee, the flavor leaned more toward malt candy, still soft and smooth overall. Honestly, this is the kind of coffee that tastes great no matter how you brew it.

For black coffee, I made both a classic hot Americano and a Bumblebee—an Americano with orange juice. Ever since I visited Serbia, I’ve gotten used to calling orange Americano “Bumblebee,” which always makes me laugh.

Most espresso beans don’t deliver particularly stable flavor when diluted into an Americano, but this SOE feels like it can carry the whole performance on its own. The cup shows a very clean and refreshing profile with citrus and white tea notes, incredibly fresh and natural, almost resembling the clarity of a slightly “over-extracted” style that mimics pour-over texture.

Even when paired with orange juice in a Bumblebee, the coffee’s original flavor isn’t overshadowed. Instead, the two complement each other quite nicely. The beauty of this bean lies in its fruit-forward profile combined with clear flavor layering. In the latter half of the cup, notes of milk chocolate and nuts add depth and structure to the citrusy drink, making it feel richer and more complex.

It suddenly makes you realize how versatile this coffee really is.

To sum it up, this coffee fills nearly every category on my flavor radar chart: nuts, fruit, florals, and chocolate are all present. It feels like a harmonious dance between acidity and sweetness—first bright acidity, then rising sweetness, both moving in the same rhythm, creating impressive flavor tension.

And finally, it’s incredibly versatile. You can basically brew it with your eyes closed and it will still taste great.

Don’t ask—Australian roasters are absolutely worth exploring in depth. This kind of “bean-hunting” approach is both thrilling and deeply memorable.

Elixir Coffee Roasters Fratelli Blend Review: A Versatile Espresso Blend from Brisbane

 Do you remember the café-hopping trip I shared a while ago in Brisbane, Australia?Among those stops, one that I introduced with particular enthusiasm was the Australian roaster Elixir Coffee Roasters, a long-established brand founded in 2007. I even bought three bags of their coffee beans right in the shop—haha. In many Australian cafés, roasted coffee beans are displayed in glass cabinets almost like roasted snacks. You can browse and pick your favorite beans the way you might choose nuts or trail mix. It’s actually quite a unique shopping experience. Not only do you get exactly what you see, but once you place your order, the staff will pack the beans fresh for you on the spot, ensuring they’re within the optimal tasting window. You can basically take them home and start brewing immediately.

While I was in the shop, I quickly became intrigued by their signature house espresso blend, Fratelli Blend, which has been a staple there for years. Fratelli means “brothers” in Italian, symbolizing the idea of harmony and unity—different flavor “brothers” coming together to create an unmatched and distinctive flavor bond. Since neither their website nor my conversation with the staff revealed the exact composition of the blend, I didn’t dig too deeply into the details. But I have to say, the Fratelli espresso blend is truly unique.

At the café, I ordered a Flat White made with this blend. The cup had a bold yet refined profile—complex but balanced. The mouthfeel was rich and full-bodied, with a gentle hint of citrus acidity. Overall, it leaned toward a softer balance with a pronounced sweetness. After just one Flat White, it was clear that this blend would be highly versatile in different coffee drinks.

When evaluating a veteran roaster like Elixir Coffee Roasters, the best approach is often to try their long-standing house espresso blend. These blends are usually adjusted seasonally with different single-origin components to maintain the desired flavor profile. For cafés that have maintained a strong reputation for years, the real core competency lies in roasting consistency and flavor stability—these factors are almost decisive. The Fratelli Blend even won Bronze medals at the 2019 Sydney Royal Fine Food Show in both the Espresso and Latte categories.

Once ground, the dry aroma of the beans carries strong notes of nuts and chocolate. Despite being roasted to a medium level, the coffee still carries an impressively high sweetness that wraps around the aroma, making the overall flavor profile feel extremely comforting and approachable.

Naturally, I started with a shot of espresso. The crema was outstanding—thick, rich, and beautifully structured. On the palate, there’s a lively brightness that plays between gentle acidity and dark chocolate. This is followed by a pleasant sweetness and a subtle bitterness that leads into a lingering aftertaste. Toward the finish, the sweetness expands even further before the cup closes with a clean and balanced ending. Overall, the flavor progression is powerful in the beginning, softer and smoother in the middle, and long-lasting in the finish.

The aroma carried by that crema is also wonderfully rich and inviting. Because of that, this blend really shines in milk-based drinks, so I made both a Flat White and a Latte to see how the flavor changed with different milk ratios.

In a Flat White, where there is less milk, the coffee character becomes more prominent. The nutty and chocolate notes appear clearer and more defined, giving the drink a slightly cookie-like flavor profile. This was also the drink I had ordered in the café itself. From the first sip, the flavor opens with a molasses-like richness, followed by dessert-like aromas reminiscent of honey and malt, and then finishes with a smooth caramel sweetness.

When prepared as a Latte, the profile shifts noticeably. It becomes more creamy, with gentle almond-like notes, accompanied by a very smooth caramel sweetness. The overall flavor leans toward a softer and more balanced profile. Personally, I think it works even better as a latte—the layers remain clear and expressive, yet the texture feels milder and more approachable.

In addition, I also tried brewing it as both a hot Americano and an Orange Americano. One of the biggest advantages of this blend is its incredible versatility. Even when paired with orange juice, the coffee’s presence remains strong and distinctive.

At its core, the blend is defined by a syrupy body and moderate acidity. The flavor opens with a molasses-like richness, gradually gathering notes of honey and malt along the way. With such solid sweetness and mouthfeel, even a simple Americano carries a pleasant, gentle citrus brightness, which lifts the otherwise classic nut-and-chocolate profile and makes it feel much more lively and dynamic.

Elixir Coffee Roasters Brisbane | Award-Winning Australian Coffee Since 2007

 Even as I’m writing this piece, the afterglow from today’s visit is still very much alive. This is one of those cafés I’d gladly go out of my way for—no matter the distance. In China, Elixir Coffee Roasters is already a well-known Australian roaster among specialty coffee lovers, and on my personal café hit list, it’s been highlighted in red for a long time.

Elixir Coffee Roasters is located at 10/12 Hayward St, Stafford QLD 4053, Australia—and yes, it absolutely lives up to the hype.

Founded in 2007, Elixir Coffee is undoubtedly one of Australia’s long-established specialty roasters, and one of the few privately owned specialty coffee roasters in Queensland. Over the years, Elixir has built an award-winning reputation both locally and internationally. Among Chinese coffee enthusiasts who closely follow overseas roasters, Elixir consistently scores high on recognition and respect. Their four flagship espresso blends—true pillars of the brand—have won multiple awards at the Golden Bean Coffee Roaster Competition and the Sydney Royal Fine Food Show. During opening hours, customers stream in steadily, with hardly a moment of downtime.

If you look up Elixir’s location on the map, you’ll notice it’s only about 6 kilometers from Brisbane’s CBD. Yet once you arrive, everything feels refreshingly detached from the city’s familiar rhythm. Many people drive here specifically to eat, drink coffee, and linger—it’s clearly woven into their everyday lives. Order lines form frequently, and there’s almost no gap between customers. As soon as one table clears, another is filled. For an Australian café with relatively short opening hours, this level of consistent traffic is genuinely rare.

Perhaps because it’s away from the city center, the space here feels generously expansive. The interior leans toward an industrial, garage-style aesthetic—raw yet balanced—almost strikingly bold within Australia’s typically relaxed café culture. The café adopts an open-plan layout: one section houses the bar and a small number of seats, while the other is dedicated entirely to seating. The flow is well thought out. As with most Australian cafés, you order at the counter first, receive a table number (or choose your seat), then let the barista know where you’re sitting.

The bar area alone offers plenty to explore. What stood out immediately was how extensive Elixir’s product lineup is. Beyond their core offering—coffee beans—they also carry brewing accessories and ready-to-drink products, all built around their roasting expertise. One particularly heartwarming detail: right at the entrance, they display small tip cards explaining how to brew coffee using different tools. Customers are free to pick them up based on whatever gear they use or are curious about. It’s a thoughtful way of sharing coffee knowledge—and honestly, it feels incredibly warm and genuine.

A Journey Through Coffee Aromas

At Elixir, you don’t just come for a cup of coffee—you can also unlock the delightful perk of “buy beans, get free coffee.” The beans are displayed almost like roasted nuts behind a glass counter, each with clear information labels. You can choose something familiar, follow your personal taste, or simply ask the staff—they’re incredibly patient and happy to explain everything in detail.

Since it’s not every day I get to visit, I went all in. Three bags of beans, no hesitation. Big spender energy—naturally rewarded with three complimentary coffees.

Let’s start with their ultimate trump card: espresso blends. I tried two of them, one being the Fratelli Espresso Blend, which also happened to be their featured blend that week. “Fratelli” means brothers in Italian, symbolizing the coming together of different flavor profiles to create a uniquely bonded whole.

This blend aligns perfectly with my personal preferences—so yes, I bought a bag to take home. I’ll share a full tasting review later. Neither the website nor the in-store conversation revealed the exact blend components, so I didn’t dig too deeply into that. But what I can say with confidence is this: Fratelli is truly distinctive.

I chose to enjoy the complimentary cup as a flat white. From the very first sip, the front palate delivers molasses-like sweetness, followed by honeyed malt notes. Then comes a smooth caramel finish. The profile is bold and complex, yet refined. It has a rich mouthfeel with a subtle citrus acidity, but overall it remains warm, balanced, and generously sweet. One flat white was enough to tell me this blend has excellent versatility across milk-based drinks. As with many long-standing house blends, Elixir adjusts the single-origin components seasonally to maintain their desired flavor profile. For a roastery that has thrived for so many years, consistency in roasting and cup quality is everything—and Elixir clearly understands that.

The other blend I tried was their classic Espresso Blend, another core offering. Since I also purchased a bag of Colombian single-origin beans, I used the two remaining complimentary coffees to explore this blend—one black, one with milk. I ordered a long black and another flat white.

Oh. My. God.

The moment the long black arrived, I was genuinely stunned by the deep, dense, and luscious crema. It had been far too long since I’d had such a powerful, properly executed long black. As the crema broke, intense dark chocolate and caramel notes burst across the palate—it was seriously addictive. This cup felt like a modern interpretation of classic Italian espresso: bold, expressive, and unapologetically rich.

The flat white left an equally unforgettable impression. With milk added, the coffee unfolded into flavors of vanilla and creamy toffee—honestly, unbelievably good. Compared to the Fratelli blend, this one felt more solid, fuller, and more clearly defined. The milk softened and unified the flavor structure, allowing the coffee’s character to shine in a lighter, more playful way. The finish melted into a chocolatey richness, with a lingering toffee sweetness that just wouldn’t let go. It genuinely reminded me of Yikou Lian toffee candies—an instant nostalgia hit. I hadn’t thought about those in years.

Of course, no café visit in Australia is complete without food. Every café exploration here requires a “morning market” mindset, so breakfast at the café is practically mandatory for me. I ordered a macro bowl, a nutrient-dense, health-focused option that truly delivers. The bowl included braised chicken breast, roasted sweet potato, brown rice and quinoa, beetroot hummus, pickled cucumber, edamame, and more. Incredibly well-balanced—light yet filling, nourishing without feeling heavy.

I also had the chance to chat with the owner, and moments like this—turning long-time online admiration into a real-world experience—are among my most cherished. Getting here from the CBD by bus is honestly a survival skill test. Not every stop is automatic, so I had to track Google Maps closely and hit the stop button at exactly the right moment. I often joke that when it comes to café-hopping, I’m unstoppable—no distance too far, no place unreachable.

What fuels that obsession is simple: the moment I turn these journeys into reality, the excitement and fulfillment I feel make everything worth it.

See the world through coffee. ☕

Double Maker Coffee Brisbane Review | Local Australian Roasters & the Famous Peanut Butter Iced Latte

 Today, I’m continuing our coffee crawl around Brisbane ☕️

And I have to say—I love Brisbane’s weather. It’s a sunny city where it doesn’t rain much, yet it has an incredibly long coastline that works like a natural humidity balancer. The result? A climate that’s gentle, mild, and never sticky. Honestly, it feels like a livability paradise.

The café I’m sharing today is located very close to the Brisbane Botanic Gardens. It’s the perfect plan: start with brunch and a great coffee here, then take a relaxed walk through the gardens afterward. Tell me this isn’t a well-thought-out itinerary 😄
The place is Double Maker Coffee, located at 126 Margaret St, Brisbane City QLD 4000. It’s a well-known local neighborhood café-restaurant, and during peak dining hours, there’s often a short line—clearly a popular spot.

Brunch + Coffee, the Australian Way

I came here for brunch and coffee, which is pretty much how most cafés in Australia operate—they’re usually café-restaurants rather than just coffee shops. I actually love solving meals in cafés: calm, relaxed, and quietly satisfying.

Double Maker features a semi-open, courtyard-style layout. You can see the whole space from outside: the coffee bar sits at the very back, with dine-in seating arranged toward the front. The spatial flow is thoughtfully designed—once you’re seated, foot traffic doesn’t really disturb you at all.

Ordering, of course, came with some friendly conversation. I was pleasantly surprised to see a combo tasting option on the menu—something that’s clearly becoming a global trend. The combo pairs the same coffee bean as both an espresso and a flat white, allowing you to experience how the flavor evolves between black coffee and milk coffee. Honestly, this is one of the best ways to truly understand a bean.

A Coffee-Scented Journey

Naturally, I ordered the espresso + flat white combo, my absolute favorite.
The espresso was incredible—I finished it in two sips. Right away, I got notes of plum and cherry, with a soft acidity. Thanks to its high sweetness, the cup felt beautifully balanced and clean. So good.

The flat white was just as impressive. Once milk entered the picture, the flavors shifted into creamy, milk-chocolate territory. Super approachable, incredibly smooth. I found myself genuinely loving these beans—perfectly aligned with my taste preferences.

A Pleasant Surprise Behind the Beans

Before chatting with the barista, I assumed this was an African natural-processed blend. Curious (and excited), I went up to the bar to ask—and learned something even better.

Double Maker not only roasts their own house blends, but also collaborates with other small roasters. From time to time, they feature guest single-origin espressos (SOE) from Australian roasters. This kind of collaboration creates a shared platform where different roasters can showcase their interpretations of coffee flavor—fantastic for curious drinkers.

Turns out, the combo I ordered was a natural-processed Red Catuai from Honduras. I’ll admit—it made me rethink my long-held bias toward Honduran coffee. This wasn’t anaerobic, wasn’t aggressive, yet it was incredibly clean, bright, fruity, and gently acidic. The espresso genuinely made me happy.

The coffee comes from Finca Las Flores, located in La Paz, Honduras, at elevations above 1,300 meters. The farm is owned by Roger Antonio Domínguez Márquez, who manages several small plots in the Marcala region. These are truly small-scale farms, and being able to taste coffees like this feels rare. From what I gathered, most of these beans are exported to Australia—so encountering them here feels especially lucky.

The roaster behind this coffee is Feind Coffee, also based in Brisbane. On Double Maker’s bean display shelf, you’ll find coffees from many different Australian roasters—it’s a wonderful dialogue and a brilliant showcase for local coffee culture.

The Famous Peanut Butter Iced Latte

When ordering, I couldn’t help noticing a separate insert at the very top of the menu highlighting the café’s most popular signature drink—the No.1 bestseller. Naturally, my curiosity was piqued… though I won’t lie, the price made me hesitate for a second 😅
Post-pandemic, it’s definitely noticeable that prices in Australia have gone up—or maybe Brisbane was always on the pricier side. Honestly, it’s more expensive than Melbourne.

But this signature peanut butter iced latte?
The moment you take your first sip, you completely forgive the price.

On top sits a silky peanut-butter mousse, whipped until smooth and finished with crunchy peanut bits. It comes with both a straw and a spoon—and I strongly recommend pulling the spoon out first and eating the mousse on its own. One bite is pure bliss.

The latte underneath uses the café’s default house bean—a true all-rounder. Despite being a specialty drink, the coffee’s original character still shines through. Nothing overpowers anything else. It’s beautifully balanced, followed by an endless caramel-like sweetness that lingers on the palate. A drink you can both eat and drink—what’s not to love?

Final Note: Brunch Time 🍄

Lastly, let’s talk about brunch.
The dish was called “Mushroom Forest”—and yes, I laughed when it arrived 😂

Eating overseas really requires a sharing mindset. Portions are generous, and this one dish is easily enough for two people.

It features seasonal mushrooms and arugula, sautéed and paired with a creamy, roasted Australian macadamia tofu purée, all served on toasted handmade sourdough. The sourdough is wonderfully chewy and elastic, and once it absorbs the sauce, the texture becomes incredibly satisfying.

I love mushrooms, and these were juicy, full of flavor, and deeply comforting—every bite tasted wholesome and nourishing. Absolute happiness on a plate.

If you’re visiting Brisbane and love good coffee, thoughtful roasting, and creative drinks, Double Maker Coffee is absolutely worth your time.