Glen Lyon roast their coffee in the Scottish Highlands. They started their journey back in 2011 at the top of one of the most beautiful glens in the Scottish Highlands. Armed with a 5kg roaster in a bothy (small hut or cottage) they initially sold their speciality coffee at local farmers markets. Their biggest challenge in the early days was getting the green beans delivered on a single track road.

In 2014 the roastery moved to Aberfeldy where they have been ever since. Now roasting on a 12kg Probat the business is thriving, supplying the people of Scotland with delicious freshly roasted speciality coffee.

One of the things that stood out for me with Glenlyon, especially on their Instagram account, was the amount of greenery. Although their location is, of course, one of the most picturesque places in the UK, they also post many images of their other projects. They are committed to zero waste and making their impact on the planet a positive one.  Every year their team plants trees in the Highlands to offset their carbon footprint. All of their speciality coffees are 100% traceable and ethically sourced. They build direct, long term relationships with producers and trading partners throughout the supply chain and pay the coffee farmers they work with significantly above Fairtrade prices. 

A wonderful brand with some inspiring ethics.

The El Remanso coffee from Glen Lyon was a coffee I couldn’t wait to try, firstly it is a microlot coffee, which is somewhat of a buzz word in the speciality coffee scene. It basically means the coffee has come from one farm and on some occasions one particular field on a farm. These coffees are generally higher in quality because the delicate flavours which may be present in a particular varietal are preserved rather than diluted when mixed in with other coffee varietals with stronger flavour characteristics. I was also excited to try the El Remanso having already been blown away by their previous Colombian roast a few months ago.

The Fragrance of the unground coffee when I first opened the bag suggested cherries and sugared candy, it reminded me a little of candyfloss. The sweet-toned fragrance carried through into the ground coffee and the aroma of the brew. 

The coffee begins by sitting in the middle of your palate, the sweetness then starts to build and quickly evolves into layers of dried fruit, before notes of peach and apricot. It has a medium body and mouthfeel, the flavours build on each other with each sip and the sweet and fruity flavours produce an enjoyably complex combination. The coffee then finishes with a squeeze of orange zest that leaves a wonderful aftertaste before cooling to a delicate crisp end that I imagine would taste superb as a cold brew.

The coffee is a fine example of a Colombian micro-lot, its complexity and distinct flavour notes make it a truly enjoyable drinking experience. The coffee has enough body to be enjoyed by those seeking depth in their cup while possessing enough flair to be a weekend show stopper. 

I brewed the El Remanso a few ways as usual. As always my V60 produced a great cup. I found that the coffee also performed well with brew methods requiring a finer grind (stovetop and espresso), the sweet-toned body lends itself nicely to the fullness of an espresso.