When Stars Align - Chicago Stars Collaboration

Chicago Stars FC and Dark Matter Coffee are woven into the fabric of their communities, just like the six-pointed stars on the city's flag. Two icons of their craft, decades into a story that evolves beyond the pitch! From Martin Stadium in Evanston to the heart of Chicago; this blend was built alongside the team to provide a proper morning kick!

In celebration of the diverse communities we foster together, $1 from each bag sold will benefit the Illinois Coalition of Immigrant and Refugee Rights. "Vamos Chicago!"

We were so excited to build this blend with members of the Chicago Stars!

The base of When Stars Align is a washed Peruvian coffee that comes from the Incahuasi region of Peru, nestled in the Andes Mountains in the southern portion of the country, not far from Cusco and Machu Picchu. When traversing areas that sit at 2,400-3,400 m above sea level, the coffee can be found growing in the valleys here that are still at a very high altitude. This coffee is paired with another one of the team's favorites from their tasting with us - a natural processed Bourbon and Pacas from the team at Cafe Tuxpal in El Salvador.  The longer and slower fermentation on these cherries leads to a berry-forward profile on this bean, which adds a candy-like red fruit to the blend. 

Country: Peru

Region: Incahuasi

Cultivar: Mixed

Process: Washed

Country: El Salvador

Mill: Cafe Tuxpal

Cultivar: Bourbon & Pacas

Process: Natural

Tastes like: cherry cola, Devil's food cake, and hibiscus

Net Wt. 12oz

*** Sold as whole bean by default. If you want it ground, please select your preference – drip, espresso, or press.

Please review our shipping schedule.  Web orders are processed in the order they are received and unavailable for same-day pickup.

The When Stars Align collaboration between Dark Matter Coffee and Cafe Tuxpal represents a unique blend of origins, sourcing beans from both Peru and the Incahuasi region of El Salvador. This lot features a combination of washed and natural processing methods, which are fundamental techniques in shaping a bean's final profile. While washed coffees are often celebrated for their clean, bright acidity, natural-processed coffees tend to show heavier fruit and sweetness; you can learn more about how these techniques influence the cup in our processing methods explainer.

With a profile characterized by cherry cola, Devil's food cake, and hibiscus, this coffee offers a complex sensory experience. To better understand how these specific descriptors fit into the broader spectrum of coffee aromatics and tastes, we recommend consulting our flavor wheel. Grown at elevations ranging from 2400 to 3400 masl, this release highlights the distinct contributions of its diverse producing regions.