Little Waves Coffee: Durham's Women-Forward Roaster of Rare Varietals, 2026 Good Food Award Winner
Little Waves Coffee is the roasting and wholesale arm of Durham, North Carolina's Cocoa Cinnamon, a Latina co-owned and women-forward specialty coffee business. In 2026, a Colombian Gesha lot built on a multi-year producer partnership earned the roastery a Good Food Award — recognition for a sourcing philosophy that leans heavily on direct, long-term relationships with women-led cooperatives and family farms.
That philosophy shows up throughout the catalog, which reaches unusually far for a single roaster: Colombia, Panama, Rwanda, Mexico, Ethiopia, Kenya, and Papua New Guinea all appear among the singles, with blends drawing on additional South American origins. Little Waves also stands out for its varietal range — Gesha, Pink Bourbon, Maragogype, and Sudan Rume all make appearances, several processed with competition-circuit techniques like black honey carbonic maceration and multi-day co-fermentation. The result is a catalog with real range in both price and ambition: approachable everyday blends sit alongside rare, limited microlots for collectors. CoffeeByMe's AI recommendation engine helps navigate that range, from an easy milk-forward blend to a rare competition-series lot.
Single Origins
| Name | Roast | Tasting Notes | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Condor Decaf, Colombia | Medium | stonefruitnutty aftertastemolasses | $20.75 |
| Marigu Estate AB, Kenya | Medium | black currantlemon frostingpomegranateblueberry jam | $24.00 |
| Edwin Enrique Noreña - Black Honey Sidra - Competition Series - Colombia | Medium | lycheepineapplemango nectaryakultpeach tealavender | $51.00 |
Blends
| Name | Roast | Tasting Notes | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Positive Pressure | Medium | cherryMadagascar vanillaNutella | $20.00 |
| Jaguar | Medium | cinnamoncaramelfruitstoffeechocolate | $21.50 |
| Don't Forget to Look at the Moon | Medium | apricotcaramelMilk chocolate | $20.50 |
Roast Profile & Flavor Range
Little Waves' 24-coffee catalog is decisively medium-roast-forward (level 3 dominates both the single-origin and blend sides), with a smaller band of medium-light lots and only a couple of outliers at the dark end. Acidity runs high across the fruit-driven singles, while body climbs in the blends and honey-processed lots. Flavor themes reflect the varietal focus — tropical fruit, florals, and unusual candy-like and dessert notes born of advanced fermentation dominate the singles, while the blends turn toward toffee, chocolate, and caramel built for milk drinks. Pricing spans widely: everyday blends and washed lots start around $20, while rare competition-series microlots climb into the $50s and beyond, reflecting the catalog's split between accessible daily coffee and collector-grade rarities.
Why Buy Little Waves Coffee
2026 Good Food Award winner: Nationally recognized for a collaborative, multi-year producer relationship — proof of a sourcing program built for the long term.
Genuinely rare varietals: Gesha, Pink Bourbon, Maragogype, and Sudan Rume rarely appear together in one roaster's lineup.
Competition-grade processing: Black honey carbonic maceration and multi-day co-fermentation techniques usually reserved for competition circuits show up throughout.
Women-forward sourcing: Many lots highlight women-led cooperatives and family farms across multiple continents, backed by a women-forward business at home.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Little Waves Coffee located?
Little Waves Coffee is a specialty coffee roaster based in Durham, NC.
What does Little Waves Coffee specialize in?
Little Waves' 24-coffee catalog is decisively medium-roast-forward (level 3 dominates both the single-origin and blend sides), with a smaller band of medium-light lots and only a couple of outliers at the dark end.
Where can I buy Little Waves Coffee coffee?
You can browse Little Waves Coffee's coffees on CoffeeByMe and click through to buy directly from the roaster, or visit Little Waves Coffee's own website.
