Philippines Kalsada Sitio Kisbong: Natural Process
Philippines Kalsada Sitio Kisbong: Natural Process
The Philippines surprises people. Most picture beaches and heat — not the dramatic mountains and cool, crisp air of the Cordillera highlands. When I visited Sitio Kisbong in Benguet in 2023, I was wearing pants and a jacket — a far cry from the typical beachy, island gear. The landscape was striking, steep, and completely unexpected.
My parents are both from Luzon, so this one is personal in a different way than San Roque. Same homeland, different world. Sourced through my friends at Kalsada Coffee and roasted medium light, Sitio Kisbong is silky and surprising — oolong tea, apricot, brown sugar, and a brightness that catches you off guard in the best way. Many of the producers I met on this farm were women — and as a woman roaster, that connection hit different and real.
Roasted by a Filipina woman of color in Los Angeles, CA. 8oz whole bean.
ABOUT THE COFFEE:
Sourced through our relationship in my homeland of the Philippines with Kalsada Coffee.
Kalsada champions Philippine specialty coffee. Their top priority is to support Filipino coffee producers and their dedicated efforts to bring quality coffee to market.
Kalsada seeks to build trust and partnership with local communities, investing in machinery and equipment to elevate coffee quality, and paying farmers fair wages. They do this by actively listening to communities, in order to meet their needs.
Through their work, we hope to encourage future generations of Filipino coffee growers, and to spread the word about Philippine specialty coffee.
The Sitio Kisbong mill was born in 2019, through a partnership between Filipino coffee brand Bo’s Coffee and 14 farmer-families who expressed a willingness to run a mill of their own. Kisbong is approximately 17 kilometers from the central Belis mill and sits on the only flat area in the community.
Our very first purchase of green beans from Benguet actually came from Sitio Kisbong in 2014. Back then, only a couple of farmers could produce 35 to 50 kilos of green beans with unpredictable levels of quality. Now, with its on-location mill, Sitio Kisbong is able to produce at least two tons of specialty grade coffee every harvest.
MUNICIPALITY + PROVINCE + REGION
Atok, Benguet, Cordillera Administrative Region
ELEVATION
1,100 to 1,700 MASL
VARIETIES GROWN
Typica, Red and Orange Bourbon
PROCESSING METHOD
Natural