coffee subscription: april 2026
Recluse Roasting Project is a small, two-person roasting company founded by Aimee Biggerstaff and Jack Fleming in Richmond, Virginia. Their focus is simple: coffees that are sweet, bright, and easy to drink, the kind they describe as “worth returning to again and again.”
For Recluse, great coffee begins long before roasting. Through direct relationships with producers and partners they’ve met during their travels, they work to source exceptional coffees while ensuring farmers are paid prices that support sustainable farming and long-term growth. Instead of relying on the volatile C-Market, Recluse either pays the price set by producers or collaborates on a rate well above the cost of production, helping farmers invest in their land, workers, and communities.
Looking ahead, Recluse hopes every coffee they offer will continue to come through direct partnerships with producers who care about the craft of farming as deeply as they care about roasting. Because to them, great coffee is about more than flavor, it’s about building community and supporting meaningful change in the industry.
When they’re not roasting, Aimee and Jack can usually be found hiking or camping with their dogs, tending their garden, playing board games, or exploring nearby cities in search of something good to eat.
Cual Bicicleta Honey
Origin: Honduras
Producer: Oscar Omar Alonzo
Elevation: 1560 MASL
Process: Honey
Variety: Catuai, Lempira & Parainema
Tasting Notes: Milk Chocolate, Dried Apricot & Lemon
Description: For more than twenty years, Oscar Omar Alonzo has devoted himself to growing exceptional coffee in the mountains of Marcala, Honduras. He owns two farms: Finca Cual Bicicleta (“Which Bicycle”) and Finca Vi Un Pato. Over time he has become known not just for quality, but for his curiosity, experimentation, and genuine joy in the craft.
Oscar now runs the farm alongside his son, Melvin, a fourth-generation coffee grower. Their partnership blends deep family tradition with a willingness to try new ideas.
In 2003, after connecting with the cooperative COMSA, Oscar transitioned fully to organic farming. Since then, he has incorporated biodynamic practices, natural fertilizers, and soil-building methods that have steadily improved both yield and cup quality. The farm has also become a gathering place for local children, where Oscar teaches organic agriculture and environmental stewardship.
Since 2020, Oscar’s coffees have been a standout in our lineup, consistently offering clarity and balance year after year. His personality is as memorable as his work: a sharp sense of humor paired with a near-mythic dedication to building healthy soil through generous organic composting.
With Milk Brewing Recipe
Dose: 18 Grams
Time: 25 – 27 Seconds
Yield: 47 Grams
Temperature: 202 F
Pressure: 9 Bar
Additional Notes:
• Specs pulled 4 weeks off roast
• 1–2 months off roast is preferred for espresso
• Puqpress at 30 lbs
• 1:2.7 ratio for espresso without milk
• 1:2.5 ratio for espresso with milk
Mandarino
Origin: Colombia (Huila)
Producer: Maniwa
With Milk Tasting Notes: 1400–1600 MASL
Process: Washed
Variety: Castillo, Caturra & Colombia
Without Milk Tasting Notes: Pear, Almond & Silky
Description: Mandarino captures what makes southern Colombia, specifically Huila, a dependable and distinctive coffee region. We source it through Maniwa Specialty Coffee, an exporter based in Pitalito that works closely with small farmers across Pitalito, Palestina, and Oporapa.
Their long-standing relationships allow them to assemble a regional lot that is consistent and thoughtfully selected. Mandarino is a washed coffee with a familiar, approachable profile that is balanced and easy to dial in. It has a pear-like fruit note and clean, crisp acidity that holds up well in milk drinks.
By working with Maniwa’s cupping lab in Huila, we are able to choose coffees that offer dependable quality while supporting fair traceability for the producers behind them.
Brewing Recipe
Dose: 18 Grams
Time: 28 Seconds
Yield: 47 Grams
Temperature: 202 F
Pressure: 9 Bar
Additional Notes:
• Specs pulled 3 weeks off roast
• 1–2 months off roast is preferred for espresso
• Puqpress at 30 lbs
• 1:2.7 ratio for espresso without milk
• 1:2.5 ratio for espresso with milk
NOT A COFFEE SHOP
Black Walnut Maple Latte
During the pandemic, Recluse began hosting weekend pop-ups as a way to stay connected with their community and keep the roasting project going. What started as a small operation quickly gained momentum, and before long, word had spread. Lines began wrapping around the block as people showed up for their refreshing coffee slushies, cortados, and brewed drip coffee.
“The community showed up for us in a big way,” they say.
Those pop-ups became a moment of connection, creativity, and resilience during an uncertain time. Along the way, a few drinks became local favorites, including one particular latte that guests kept coming back for weekend after weekend.
Below is the recipe for the beloved Black Walnut Maple Latte. You can recreate it at home and bring a little piece of that pop-up spirit into your own kitchen. If you give it a try, we’d love to hear how it turns out.
10 ounce latte recipe
• 10g maple syrup (barrel-aged if possible)
• 2g Fee Brothers Black Walnut Bitters
• 200g milk of choice (steamed or cold)
• 1 double shot of espresso
Hot: Build like any other flavored latte.
Iced: Add all ingredients to a shaker, shake, and pour over ice.
