The Ethiopian Roast

Coffee County is a Japanese roaster split between Fukuoka and Tokyo, with a lovely, almost meditative approach to coffee — 'relax and become stimulated; feel the vibrant flow.' The focus is honesty to the fruit and bright, beautiful acidity, the kind of clean, expressive cup Japan's specialty scene does so well. They run four cafés (in Setagaya, a couple of Fukuoka spots and Kurume), so there's plenty of chances to sit and sip, plus a webshop for beans. A serene, quality-driven pick if you want lively, fruit-forward single origin specialty coffee with a distinctly Japanese sense of care.