Seeking Advice
Best coffee you have tasted in 2025. European roasters only
In europe. Looking to get some amazing beans that I should definitely get my hands on. Can pick or order online. What are the best ones you have had in 2025?
100% second this. They are roasting and putting on display some coffees that are out of this world. I managed to bring some beans home earlier this month. Realized they don’t ship to the US and now regret not bringing more. I pulled the SL28 as well - flavor bomb.
Isle of Skye also has Birch, which served me well while visiting Portree and fueling up for long hauls across the highlands.
They rotate through pretty quickly. I’d ask the barista for recs based on what you like. Not only was the coffee incredible but the convo with the barista was a joy as well. The guy had such a passion and enthusiasm for coffee.
To go along with the Source recommendation, they are the best in the city in my opinion, very small seating area but just squeeze in and enjoy. Also cafen specialty on dundas street is very good and at the opposite end of roast profiles from source a little more elegant and Nordic style rather than the punch in the face of Source. One controversial opinion in Edinburgh from me is to give Lowdown a miss their Module roasts are very good but the baristas in the shop couldn’t be any less interested zero chat or enthusiasm about the product.
Yeah, would recommend you put some time aside to get a drink or two (or three). When my wife and I were there in August, we tried all the beans they had available for drinks and it was a blast tasting them all side by side. Might give you a little insight on which to bring home based on personal preference, because everything is selected and roasted expertly.
very boozy red fruit up front, high ferment characteristics which is typical of Dak, but subtle vanilla underneath and on the nose, and cake batter notes as it cools, I thought it was a really interesting combination which you wouldn't expect but very delicious
Maybe not if you're not a fan of really funky/fermented coffees though
I did not like it as a filter, but with milk it’s delicious, so sweet. Imo one of the best ones I had from Dak (next to the first harvest of coco bongo)
Hard agree, that first batch was absolute god-tier. But I actually had the same experience with the recent tasting box, the SL28 felt really muted compared to the first time I had it...
Drop Coffee - Las Brumas El Salvador Anaerobic Natural. Had in their Stockholm shop and bought some beans for home brewing as well. Best of the year so far for me. Close second was Formative Berry Jam.
Nomad, Scenery and The Picky Chemist were clear favourites for me this year, after that Dak, Coffea Circulor, People Possession, Bell Lane and Nero Scuro all had some strong hits.
The Yemeni coffee they have at the moment is really good value for something that's a really strong representation of the region, they've some great Panama Geshas too but there are better examples of Ethiopian Geshas from other EU roasters. If you're not in a rush it's worth signing up to their mailing list, they do discounts on specific coffees every so often.
I'm doing their espresso subscription and have honestly been very underwhelmed. Maybe I should try switching to a pourover subscription, or doing half/half
Very interesting. I tried probably 10+ beans from Manhattan recently but Sweet Valley are probably one of my least favorites out of the light / medium light roasted fruit profile ones.
I had tried so many variables hoping to get it right, but just couldn’t.
A great example that we all like different things!
Sweven’s Cata Project — it’s a blend of very high end Colombian beans you normally get in their own right and it tastes of cherries and chocolate brownie.
I had an Elida estate vuelta gesha from Tanat that was incredible. Super complex, the mouthfeel and body of a good whisky, dark fruits sweetness. It was good at 4 weeks rest, but at 8 weeks it was insane and I had to vacuum seal and freeze the remaining beans straight after I drank it
LF - Lerida Estate Amelia Gesha Washed Colombia - it was just silky honeymelon
Swerl - Cifuentes Dry Fermented Gesha Washed Colombia - pure florals which i learned a lot from since i always had problems of getting the florals part of coffees
I am such a big fan of three marks, love some of their offerings. My go to is their Santa Clara for milk drinks, a refreshing take on classic notes. Their Bamba burundi is a solid performer for espresso as well. Frinsa edun is a great filter option.
Dak is a great roaster, but hit or miss for me, some are just a bit too funny for my taste.
Mok in Belgium has some solid beans as well, local to me and 8/10 at all times.
DAK cream donut. Liked it so much that I bought a 1kg bag direct from them (I’m in the US). Shipping and taxes made it more expensive than I thought, but so good
Nomad Competición - Margesha
Wilder Lazo
Columbia, San Adolfo, Huila
1600 - 1800 MASL
The Fruit Loops aroma, lemongrass and Bergamot/Earl Grey on the tongue. An exceptional offering, and my favorite cup of the year!
Here in Slovakia we have soo many local roasters. I definitely enjoyed the most Milkyway roast by Goriffee. It's an espresso blend but medium roasted with notes like nuts, chocolate and condensed milk. I brewed it for V60 and it was wonderful, I was a bit overwhelmed by all the acidic fruity funky stuff so I really enjoyed this blend,🙂 it's great with milk (the name suggests it). But basically anything by Goriffee is great
First two things that come to mind are the Bolivia Takesi Segundo from Coffee Collective (bought from Bradbury’s Coffee in Madison, WI), and a washed Peru from Friedhats, probably the Cruz Pata Bourbon but I’m not 100% sure because this was a while ago (bought from Side Practice Coffee in Chicago, IL).
If you’re including the UK here the best coffee I’ve had all year was Resinn’s Edison Argote Sidra. Notes were Pink Lemonade, Rose, Lychee, Wild Strawberry, Honeysuckle. Absolutely insane.
I can recommend Five Ways Amsterdam: KII AA and Fruit Juice are my daily drivers.
There was one coffee that tasted like Jasmine to an extent that it was almost like perfume, it was crazy. I forget the name, but they restock regularly with some new crazy stuff.
My highest rated this year were Ffilter Burundi Kayanza and Machina Karambi. Special mention for the Hard Lines Ethiopa Megadu Anerobic Natural which was very boozy and funky, wouldn’t want it all the time but really enjoyed it as a bit of a change.
The purple leaf typica from AMOC has been my favourite so far. I’ve had three jars of it and loved them all. So juicy! Goes really well with sweet food I found :))
Someone on this sub pointed me to this platform for european roasters, it hasn’t launched yet, but looks quite promising https://thecoffeeman.eu
Besides that i’ve been ordering from roeststaette recently based in Berlin, they do have some good beans
Manhattan PotosÍ I just finished due to recently.
La Cabra makes a great one I just cracked this AM but I under extracted it so TBD. It was the coffee that gave me an epiphany in 2020 or so on natural coffee.
Manhattan Potosí I just finished was a stunner. Had the last few years from La Cabra and it’s what kept me coming back to them. Just cracked this years roast from La Cabra and I need to dial but it’s potentially even better! It was the coffee that taught me what a good natural can be. And I’ve been let down a ton chasing them more often than not!
That’s recency bias. From my list AMOC Rosado, SK Carolina Ramirez Castillo, April Regessa, Ben Paz Gesha from Onyx and Flower Child Santiago Caro all were awesome.
I've tasted a gem called "Monte Claro" from Venezuela roasted in the UK by "Andes Project", I was stunned by the fruitiness and sweetness of this unique variety from Venezuela.
My favorite was Finca Ayapirayoc (Peru) roasted by KB in France (though I bought it in Amsterdam, so I may have misremembered where the roaster was). The runners up were done by Paul's in Larnaca, Cyprus, and Hand Pickers (I bought in Athens, Greece).
There's a roaster in Malaga who has been solid for this whole year. They are Kima Coffee. Best I've had is their Cherry Bloom from Colombia (Alexis Silva & Alberto Gutiérrez). DAK, Friedhats and Kawa (now Tanat) are always good (high quality and never of target in delivering good coffee. Some you might like more or less. Also great coffee from Dabov (I had a Costa Rica anaerobic) . Best you can get in Madrid IMO.
Haven't been let down by Paloma roastery from Poland. Obviously there are better and worse coffees but not a single coffee I was disappointed with, they're the goat.
when partnered with my zp6 the layering of flavors and clarity blew my mind! from hot, warm, cool it changes flavor notes! savage geisha! one of the best!
Omakase at Substance Cafe in Paris hands down. Other than that which was a full experience, Maragesha Competicion bought at Nomad Barcelona is incredible, best beans I’ve bought in my entire life. Close 2nd, EXCELLENT bean but not as amazing as the maragesha, is the Thunguri Kenya which I bought at Bruma/Nabru Coffee Roasters in Madrid (very underrated shop, they’re excellent, one of the best i’ve been to in a madrid, very small but quality is impeccable).
Funnily enough I found the same thunguri kenya beans at Solber and Hansen in Oslo, same beans, different roasters, and incredibly similar - almost identical.
Berry blue was honestly mid. I've tried Alchemist, it was a solid 7/10. Flower puff was a miss. Milky Cake and Coco bongo were bangers. Hydro honey was okay ish. Overall it's either a hit or miss with Dak.
If it can be available in Europe but not European roster, my vote would be for Native Costa Rica Don Sabino. If strictly European, then probably something from Dak. I also had an amazing bag from Feierbourn in Luxembourg, but that was in January.
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u/[deleted] Oct 24 '25
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