Time for some Uncommon coffees!

Uncommon, Amsterdam

With an instantly likeable name, Uncommon is yet another Specialty Coffee success story from Amsterdam.

Uncommon means : Out of the ordinary ; Unusual; Not often found, seen or experienced; Remarkable or Exceptional 😊

All their coffees have something unusual, be it taste, variety, altitude, processing or just the story behind the story. Located in Amsterdam West, Uncommon’s cafe sits near the museum arena and Vondelpark nestled with plenty of canals cutting across this beautiful area. Luckily, it’s not yet on the touristy map of the city and thus frequented mostly by the coffee lovers from the neighborhood.

Uncommon was co-founded in 2018 by Claye Tobin, an Aussie guy, Nina Tromp, a local Dutch, and Josh Cotton, a Brit blending their common philosophies together to make the coffee producers the real heroes of their journey. Central to their ethos is building close relationships with the people who produce unusual coffees. The idea is to highlight coffee farmers’ exceptional accomplishments, bravery, and creativity in the face of complex environmental and socio-economic challenges.

For example, this spring Uncommon is pursuing Myanmar project with Hopong Long Hay & This Side Up. Their key objective is to make coffee farming economically sustainable so as to eradicate opium production along the Thai border of Myanmar.

Café Design:

Uncommon is a place of vibrance and friendliness in the middle of the hustle and bustle of the exciting city of Amsterdam.

The aesthetically calming Nordic minimalistic interior of this space in the middle of the city invites you to take a moment out of your busy day to try out coffees unusual and special.  My friend Nur & I chose outdoor seating by the street side on a sunny day.

The Coffee:

Each cup is a homage to the legends behind the remarkable and uncommon coffees.

Uncommon’s offerings change with the season. Each season they select different origins, innovative processing methods or newly discovered varieties; coffees that will encourage your curiosity. Every coffee has one (un)common denominator, they showcase the inspiring stories of the legends behind these remarkable coffees.

I tasted the coffee from Las Lajas in Costa Rica. This farm is nestled in the foothills of the Poas Volcano, located outside the town of Sabanilla in central Costa Rica.

It’s a sad yet fascinating story as the coffee farm owner there fell ill and passed away after being exposed to pesticides for a long time. But that ignited a mission in his sons Oscar and Francisca, who made a conscious decision to make the farm entirely organic and went on to become the pioneers of organic farming in Costa Rica.

Honey processed with flavour Notes:  Winey, jammy coffee tasting like plum, prune and raspberry jam.

The Roastery:

Uncommon’s roasting style intends to highlight and preserve the intricate flavour characteristics of the farmer's skilful work, showcasing the unique flavour profiles and processing methods from origin.

Being a fruit, coffee is seasonal so expect regular shifts in their offerings. They rarely have the same coffee for more than six months, as this is typically when one can notice a decline in the coffee's quality.