Philippine Coffee Brands Available to buy in Manila

Filipinos love to drink coffee. And it’s good to know that our country, the Philippines have rich lands where the commercially-viable coffee namely Arabica, Liberica (locally known as Kapeng Barako), Robusta, and Excelsa, can be grown and cultivated. Despite this, the coffee industry here lacks in the volume that’s why we need to import coffee beans from other countries. But don’t worry, our passionate farmers and coffee producers in the Philippines are trying their best to make up with quality coffee. Today, the development of the third wave coffee shops has introduced a new and favorable taste for specialty beans for coffee drinkers. Are you a coffee enthusiast? Well, you need to check out the list of the premium local coffee brands available here in Manila.

Caffeine Brothers

Caffeine Brothers is a new retail and distributor of premium quality coffee in Manila. The brothers’ source out coffee beans from the rich lands of the Philippines. They are committed to delivering fresh and quality specialty coffee to coffee shops and households. Caffeine Brother’s coffee is known for its bold taste and fragrant aroma. Try this and you’ll surely enjoy every sip of your coffee. You can get your supply of their specialty coffee variants such as Arabica, Robusta, Liberica and CB’s finest from their online store and social media pages.

Here are the specialty coffee variants available at Caffeine Brothers:

• Arabica – It is known for its distinctive taste and floral aroma which can be easily recognized. Arabica is also the most widely consumed coffee around the world. It accounts for more than 90% of the total coffee production in our country. Arabica grows in the cooler and elevated areas in the Philippines and its beans develop slowly giving coffee drinkers a much acidic note and fuller flavor. CB’s Arabica is available at 200g for PHP 220.00, 400g for PHP 310.00, 800g for PHP 450.00 after the discount has been applied which is regularly priced at PHP 490.00, and 1kg for only PHP 590.00.

• CB’s Finest – CB’s Finest is a combination of all good qualities of coffee every coffee enthusiast is looking for in their cup. The brothers make sure that they only offer the right body, right boldness, and bitterness topped with just the appropriate aroma, one will surely enjoy every sip their coffee. And yes, it has a lingering nutty aftertaste. CB’s Finest is available at 200g for PHP 250.00, 400g for PHP 350.00, 800g for PHP 500, and 1kg for only PHP 600.00. You can now experience a distinctive taste, rich and flavorful coffee for a much affordable price.

• Liberica – Liberica is locally known as Kapeng Barako, which offers a strong kick and pungent aroma noticeable in every sip of your coffee. It delivers bitter taste and has a high caffeine level, wherein coffee is known for. Liberica is also identified for its lingering aftertaste which is long-lasting with a dark chocolate note and sweet hits. It is available at Caffeine Brothers in different weight, 200g for PHP 200.00, 400g for PHP 260.00, 800g for PHP 390.00 and 1kg for only PHP 470.00.

• Robusta – If you’re looking for coffee that delivers full-bodied experience, you need to have Robusta. It is the most chosen variant of coffee by home brewers and baristas alike due to its high caffeine level and antioxidants content, as being compared with the other variants. Its flavors include what coffee lovers are looking for such as bolder, darker, and chocolaty note-perfect for your next espresso shot. It is available in 200g for PHP 190.00, 400g for PHP 250.00, 800g for PHP 360.00 and 1kg for only PHP 430.00.

Coffee for Peace 

The company makes use of the Arabica beans that are being sourced out from Mindanao. To be specific, they are getting it from communities with Christian settlers and Indigenous Peoples (IP). Its company’s production manager, Byron Pantoja, holds a Q-Grade certification. This means that they are employing the Specialty Coffee Association of America (SCAA) standard which is the most known assessment method for Arabica and even Robusta cuppers. Coffee for Peace only offers premium quality processed beans.

The company is also popularly known for its social effort and contribution.  A portion of the investors’ net profit is allocated to Peace Builders Community Inc. This is to provide support to their agents of peace and reconciliation in the pre-defined conflict-affected communities. Its founder and CEO, Joji Pantoja, received an award in 2017 from President Rodrigo Duterte at the Inspiring Filipina Entrepreneurs. In the following year, Coffee for Peace is also the Country Winner and the ASEAN Winner for the SME Excellence in Corporate Social Responsibility. The ASEAN Business Awards was held in Singapore.

SGD Coffee

SGD is the short version of the word Sagada, where the company source out their coffee beans. They make use of the sub-type of Arabica beans called Typica which the founders, Rich and Margaret Watanabe, found in the beautiful highlands of Cordillera. They were able to work with the farmer and coffee producer, Goad Sibayan, and became distinctively known for its branded civet coffee, which is Bana’s Coffee.

In 2017, it received the Gourmet Award at the 3rd International Contest of Coffees Roasted which was hosted by the Valorization of Agricultural Products (AVPA). It is a Paris-based non-profit organization. The Philippine government also recognized SGD and chosen the company to represent the Philippines in some international coffee-related conferences.

Today, the founders continuously spread knowledge about local premium coffee and even encourage consumers to go for the black. They also provide training opportunities to coffee enthusiast through their Coffee Science Center and even offer on-the-job training programs known as SGD Bodega.

Mount Apo Civet Coffee Inc.

The Mount Apo Civet Coffee can be sourced out from the highest peak of the Philippines. It’s elevation and volcanic soil makes it an ideal place to grow chemical-free Arabica coffee beans. Mount Apo Civet Coffee Inc., as the name implies is recognized for its Civet Coffee variants. It is processed from beans found in the excrement of free-roaming civet cats. It is then dried, fermented and thoroughly washed. Other popular variant includes the Altura Coffee which is branded as the President’s Coffee.

Kalsada Coffee

Kalsada Coffee source out their beans in Belis, Benguet that can be found in the Cordillera Mountain region. The company also pay farmers beyond what Fair Trade practices suggest which is 50 pesos per pound of beans. Its distinctive vanilla taste and floral aroma with the notes of cacao, nutmeg, cardamom, and all-spice, is what makes it stands out and different from the other coffee producers in the Philippines.

The founder of Kalsada Coffee is Carmel Laurino. Since she loves coffee a lot, she decided to make use of it to connect her heritage. Her inspiration which paves the way to start the Kalsada Coffee is the photograph featuring kapeng barako being sold at a Seattle market way back in 1909. Today, Kaldasa Coffee caters to coffee shops not only in Manila but also in Seattle, New York, Chicago, and San Francisco.