York Emporium Roasters Reserve: Microlot Coffee

There’s coffee you drink every day, and then there’s coffee you remember.

That’s the idea behind York Coffee Emporium’s Roasters Reserve: a curated, small-batch series that brings together the most distinctive, limited, and expressive coffees we can get our hands on. These aren’t your daily brews. They’re the showstoppers; the microlots, rare varietals, and seasonal standouts that caught our roastery’s attention for all the right reasons.

If you’re looking to go beyond the usual, you’re in the right place.

What is the Roasters Reserve?

The Roasters Reserve is our way of celebrating exceptional coffee. More specifically, the kind that doesn’t come around often, and doesn’t hang around for long.

Each edition features:

A unique lot – often single origin coffee from a smallholder farm, co-op, or experimental process
Seasonal or limited availability – sourced in small volumes
Hand-picked by our head roaster – chosen for distinctive flavour, origin, or processing
Roasted in micro-batches – with a profile designed to highlight what makes it shine

Think: floral Ethiopian naturals, syrupy Guatemalan honeys, bold Kenyan washed lots, or lesser-known varietals grown at dizzying altitudes. These are coffees that offer a clear sense of place and process, and they deserve more than just a morning rush brew.

Current Release: Colombia Ice Process

Our latest Roasters Reserve is something truly special, Colombia Ice, a small-lot Castillo varietal grown by Jairo Arcila at Santa Mónica farm in the Quindío region. This coffee underwent a unique ice fermentation process: after a short aerobic fermentation, the beans were sealed and held below 22°C, then frozen for 72 hours before being slowly dried. The result is a coffee that’s clean, vibrant, and intensely expressive, with bold notes of blood orange, black cherry, and dark chocolate. With milk, it softens into flavours reminiscent of Turkish delight.

Unusual, experimental, and beautifully executed, it’s a standout roast for those who want something unique. Roasted in small batches and available only while this lot lasts.

Why We Created It

There’s a whole world of coffee beyond the supermarket shelf or your go-to house blend. At York Coffee Emporium, we’ve always believed in roasting to reveal the character of each bean, not masking it, flattening it, or overcomplicating it.

But every so often, we come across a coffee that asks for a bit more attention. Something unusual. A crop that’s produced in tiny quantities. A processing method that shifts the flavour in surprising ways. Or a lot that simply tastes incredible and deserves a spotlight.

The Roasters Reserve was born out of that curiosity and the desire to share those standout coffees with customers who want something a bit more special.

Who It’s For

You don’t need to be a Q Grader or a barista champion to enjoy these coffees, just someone who appreciates quality and likes trying something new.

It’s ideal for:

The curious coffee drinker – who wants to explore unique flavour profiles
Gifting – a great option for birthdays, thank-yous, or something thoughtful for the coffee fiends who’s tried everything. It’s the perfect gift for coffee lovers.
Cafés and delis – looking to feature a rotating premium guest coffee or limited-time filter option
Home brewers – especially those using pour over, Aeropress, or espresso to bring out nuanced flavours

Each edition of the Roasters Reserve is designed to be a talking point — a coffee with depth, character, and a story behind it.

What to Expect (Without Spoiling the Surprise)

While each release in the series is different, you can expect a few things every time:

Transparency – You’ll know where the coffee came from, how it was processed, and why we selected it
Freshness – Roasted in small batches, packed to order
Expert roasting – Profiled to highlight the coffee’s best attributes, not cover them up
Limited availability – Once it's gone, it's gone

We’ll also include tasting notes, origin details, and brewing suggestions to help you get the most from each release.

Past Editions Have Included…

We’ve featured coffees from high-altitude Colombian farms, rare Ethiopian lots, and small-scale Kenyan producers. Some were fruity and wine-like. Others were smooth and syrupy. All of them were selected for a reason and roasted to bring that reason out in the cup.

Every bag of Roasters Reserve is a chance to taste something new. Something thoughtful. Something that doesn’t taste like everything else.