COFFEE WITH CHARACTER
Kalan Brews Coffee
Globally-grown & locally-roasted in Boston
Kalan Brews in Boston brings you freshly-roasted, micro-batch coffees with a focus on single source beans and a commitment to finding organic and fair-trade coffees whenever possible. We invite you to join us on this coffee-discovering adventure. Go ahead and give us a try, you’ll be glad you did!
Look, we have zero patience for snobbery when it comes to describing the nuances of wine, chocolate, or coffee flavors. But honestly it has been a revelation to (re)discover the wide range of tastes and aromas of coffee beans from all over the world.
Kalan Brews Craft Roasted Coffee
Papua New Guinea, Purosa
Fair Trade & Organic
This Papua New Guinea Purosa AX hails from the Eastern Highlands provinces––Ivangoi, Purosa, and Okapa––and is procured by over 3,000 farmers and certified by the Highland Organic Agricultural Cooperative. At a darker roast, you will find medium acidity, creamy body with sweet caramel overtones and a slight cocoa note on the finish. Due to the mineral-rich volcanic soil and jungle climate, Papua New Guinea farms can supply two crop cycles per year! This lot is de-pulped and dried in parchment––it’s then loaded onto trucks as it makes its way to Goroka, where it’s milled, graded, and bagged. Once the coffee is ready for export, it’s taken to the Port of Lae––the country’s largest, most successful port.
Mexico, Oaxaca
Fair Trade & Organic
One of our favorite beans which takes well to a medium to dark roast. With notes of orange-citrus, this organic coffee bean is a very clean cup originating from the southwestern state of Oaxaca in Mexico.
After the Mexican government abandoned the coffee industry sector in 1989, the Oaxacan State Coffee Producers Network (CEPCO) was established to unite small producers throughout the region. The revenue generated from their Fair Trade sales provides credit, technical assistance and life insurance for the producers, and helps fund improvements to the coffee production infrastructure.
Ethiopia, Yirgacheffe
Fair Trade & Organic
Ethiopian Yergacheffe/Yirgacheffe has always been considered one of the fine, heavier-bodied coffees available, but this organic variety seems truly supercharged! It starts right out of the grinder with an almost overwhelming aroma that makes your mouth water...you can hardly wait to get it brewed. LARGE is the one best word to describe the Organic Yirgacheffe. Aroma, body, brightness, and complexity are all so strong that it's like trying to balance a boulder on a nail. Perhaps that's overstating it a bit, but if you're looking for a delicate cup of coffee with a lot of subtle nuances, look elsewhere. This is bold - chocolatey with a caramelly texture, heavy fruits, and a hint of sweet honey.
Costa Rica, Amistad
Organic
This coffee reminds us not to get stuck in our habits: a delicious coffee at the light to medium roast levels can convert any dark coffee-loving drinker.
Hacienda La Amistad, located in Coto Brus, in the province of Puntarenas, Costa Rica, is a third generation coffee farm owned and operated by Roberto Montero. Roberto’s family has returned more than 6,000 hectares of land to the Costa Rican government for the preservation of La Amistad International Park, the largest natural reserve in Central America.
Roberto’s commitment to organic farming pairs well with his commitment to his community. During the coffee harvest, Roberto provides housing and free access to medical care for the seasonal pickers most of whom are indigenous people from Panama who come to La Amistad with their entire families. In addition to coffee production, Roberto is also proud to provide more than 100 full-time jobs to his neighbors from Las Mellizas in the dried fruit operation that he runs year round at La Amistad.
Guatemala, HHT Decaf
Fair Trade & Organic
This coffee is shade grown under guava, plantain and banana trees in the Huehuetenango region, surrounded by the Cuchumantanes Mountains and the Maxbal Forest Reserve.
The Huehue Royal Select is a fine decaf that we're pleased to offer. True to its origin, it has a very nice fruited brightness, balanced with background chocolate notes and a hint of florals.
Espresso Blend
After experimenting with a number of single-source and blends for that mouth-watering espresso shot, we landed on this delicious espresso blend. Each shot produces an eye-pleasing crema and a boldness that will delight the palate. Enjoy as an espresso, cortado or a flat white.
D. R. Congo, Umoja
Fair Trade & Organic
Dark roast lovers will appreciate this coffee for its flavor and strength. Espresso drinkers will appreciate this coffee's boldness and ability to hold up to all types of milk.
We source our Umoja cofee beans through our new partnership with Mighty Peace Coffee. Umoja farmers in this co-op with 11,600 members in 21 sectors, produce fully-washed coffee that is certified fair trade and organic (FTO). They produce Kivu Arabica specialty coffees dominated by Bourbon varieties, grown on volcanic soil between Lake Kivu and the Mitumba mountain range. In the 10 years Umoja farmers have been growing specialty coffee, the sale of Umoja has helped to improve the living conditions of their members, provide schooling, housing, jobs and reducing coffee smuggling on Lake Kivu, while promoting women’s and pygmy rights.
The Kalan Brews Story
We love coffee and spend a lot of time talking about coffee. One spring evening over dinner, we wondered what it would be like to roast our own beans. We did some research, got a roaster and green coffee beans from all over the world, and began learning roasting techniques. A coffee survey sent to friends and family showed great interest and we started sharing samples and receiving valuable feedback. Soon, friends were asking for more and we narrowed down our selections and roasts and launched Kalan Brews! We are loving how freshly roasted coffee tastes, and aim to share that with you. Learn more about the Kalan Brews team.
From Kalan Bros to Kalan Brews
Over 60 years ago, our grandfather designed and hand-lettered the Kalan Brothers logo, which graced our family’s storefront in South Africa for decades.
Inheriting his artistic talent, granddaughter Ekta redesigned the original logo for us. On what would’ve been our grandfather’s 85th birthday, we launched Kalan Brews here in Boston to bring you freshly roasted coffee.
In honor of our great-grandfather, grandfather and granduncles who made up the Kalan Bros, we are proud to re-purpose the original sign and play on the word “brews" (meaning brothers in Afrikaans, Dutch, Swedish and other languages).
"After switching to Kalan Brews, I started to sneak more than half from the coffee pot each morning, knowing that I’m leaving my husband’s cup short. It’s that good."
— Jackie C.
"Kalan Brews are up to something awesome! They take exquisite care to find great tasting beans from responsible sources. They roast in super small batches and are careful to off-gas post-roasting to bring out the richest possible flavors. Did I mention they’re great guys too? If you like good coffee, you will adore Kalan Brews!!"
— Clayton C.
Common questions we get at Kalan Brews
You know the difference — a bite from that freshly-picked apple, the flavor of farm-fresh vegetables or freshly squeezed orange juice. We favor fresh not because it’s a fad but because it simply tastes better. The same can be said about freshly roasted coffee. From the moment you open the bag, grind the coffee and pour the water over, you will see and smell the difference. Our grandfather was a grocer and an expert fruit and produce buyer and always said, “fresh is fresh”. He was right!
We offer our coffees in 6 oz bags because we want you to keep enjoying fresh coffee. Order one or two 6 oz bags a week or every two weeks to continue enjoying the freshest brews.
If you are unable to pick up your coffee order, we’ll do a home delivery in Boston or mail it. We usually roast our coffees on weekends and let it de-gas for three days before packaging it for pick-up. If you want your coffee mailed, we’ll time it so your coffee is ready to grind and brew upon delivery.
That $99 annual membership fee that unlocks free shipping? Not so much. We have chosen not to mark up our coffees by offering “free” shipping; shipping is never free, it’s just baked into the price. We will ensure your coffee arrives in the most cost-effective and expedient way possible. Expect to pay between $7-$16 depending on the size of your order.
Yes, we currently offer an organic decaf from Guatemala. This is a delicious pour-over as well as a single-origin espresso. We have not tasted a decaf this yummy and it is now a staple on our coffee shelf.
While we love our packaging :), we recommend you store the coffee in an air-tight container to prolong freshness.
In addition to the country and region of origin, we list all certifications (organic, fair trade, co-op) for the coffee. The batch number corresponds to a roast profile (recipe) that we can easily replicate. We take notes during each micro-batch. Even if you ordered multiple bags of the same coffee and roast, we do not mix roast batches. We think our coffees taste best 4-14 days after roasting, 4 for regular brewing methods and 7 days after roasting for espresso machines. Prior to packaging, we allow our coffees to ‘rest’ or de-gas for 3 days in order for the roasted beans to emit the built-up carbon-dioxide from the roasting process.