December 2025: Podium Platinum. Lamppost Coffee

Country: Colombia
Varietals: Caturra
Process: Honey Banana Mossto and Honey Cranberry Mossto Coferment
Producer: Edwin Noreña
Elevation: 1,500 MASL
Tasting notes: Passionfruit, Banana, Cranberry, Brown Sugar

The coffee:

Edwin Noreña is the type of person that will casually say something like, "..when I was working with the United Nations," or "...my time as a judge at the Colombia Cup of Excellence," in every day conversation. These aren't boasts, they're simply reflections of the fact that Edwin is a consummate coffee professional with life experiences exemplify that fact. Adding to his coffee acumen, he is a fourth-generation coffee grower and a certified Q-grader.

Many coffee lovers know Edwin for his prowess in fermentation techniques, and for good reason: his offerings are consistently of the highest caliber in the world of co-ferments and experimental processes. He is a leader of this growing trend in coffee by building a working knowledge of techniques and their effects on the cup, and by readily sharing that knowledge with anyone who's interested. Edwin might, for example, recommend carbonic maceration for increased florality, or nitrogen infusion for a cleaner, possibly minty mouthfeel.

Edwin is much more than a master processor, though. He's a visionary who is always looking to the future. This is Edwin's approach: dream, experiment, share, with the end goal being elevating producers and coffee as a whole.

The roaster:

Lamppost Coffee was founded in 2015 by Brian Burns in Round Rock, Texas. The story began with a simple vision: Love coffee. Love people. Brian's desire was to create space and opportunity for these two ideas to come together. What started as a single neighborhood coffee shop has now grown to five locations around the Austin area as well as a roasting facility and mobile coffee company in two states, Texas and Colorado.

In 2023, Lamppost expanded their passion for quality by acquiring their own roasting facility. Under the leadership of Head Roaster Sean Jones, their roasting program has continued to evolve and elevate. Sean started working with Lamppost as a part-time barista, and they quickly realized his capacity to do a lot more. His background and present-day skills include head trainer, technician, roaster, and green coffee buyer. Sean’s dedication to precision, experimentation, and education has pushed their coffee to a whole new level.

Both Brian and Sean share a deep love for the world of coffee. From the farmers at origin to the final product that they serve and share with their community, coffee has an almost magical way of bringing people together. That connection guides everything they roast, brew, and serve.