Dabov Specialty Coffee

Overview

Dabov Specialty Coffee was founded in 2008 by husband-and-wife team Jordan Dabov and Vesela Vladimirova, who returned to Bulgaria from the Czech Republic to introduce specialty coffee to a market that had effectively never had access to it. The roasting program followed in 2010 with a refurbished 12kg Probat after the company's chocolate sales gave them the runway to invest in a roaster, and the brand DABOV Specialty Coffee was launched in 2014. Jordan has been the only Bulgarian Cup of Excellence juror since 2013 and has judged at competitions in Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Honduras, and Panama, sourcing many of the company's lots — including high-rated Geishas and COE-winning microlots — directly from origin auctions.

Known for

• Founded 2008 in Sofia by Jordan Dabov + Vesela Vladimirova; brand launched 2014
• Jordan Dabov has been Bulgaria's only Cup of Excellence juror since 2013
• Twin roasting setup: Probat 12kg + Loring Smart Roast added 2020
• Multiple Sofia locations plus international showrooms in Vienna (2019) and Madrid (2020)
• Buys top-rated COE and Best of Panama lots, including the highest-rated Honduras Geisha

Why it matters

Dabov is Bulgaria's first dedicated specialty coffee company and the country's principal export of third-wave culture, and Jordan Dabov is the only certified SCA barista trainer and Cup of Excellence juror in the country. The company built domestic specialty coffee from essentially zero awareness in 2008 and has since carried Bulgarian specialty's reputation outward, opening showrooms in Vienna and Madrid and supplying a roster of clients across Europe.

Production

destoning

null

head roaster

Jordan Dabov

color sorting

null

roaster machine

Probat 12kg + Loring Smart Roast (added 2020)

filter equipment

Chemex, Hario, V60

cupping frequency

null

roastery location

Sofia, Bulgaria

espresso equipment

La Marzocco / Sanremo / Kees van der Westen (also exclusive distributor)

annual volume tonnes

null

Café

Luben Karavelov 58, Sofia Center, 1142 Sofia

Recognitions

• Cup of Excellence — only Bulgarian juror since 2013
• SCA Certified Barista Trainer — Bulgaria's only

Sources

• https://dabov.coffee/about-us/
• https://us.dabov.coffee/about-the-company/
• https://europeancoffeetrip.com/roaster-stories-dabov-specialty-coffee-sofia/
• https://coffeegeek.com/blog/cafes/dabov-coffee-a-roasting-destination-amongst-sofias-backstreets/
• https://perfectdailygrind.com/2017/10/the-pioneers-bringing-specialty-coffee-to-bulgaria/
• https://modbar.com/new-hotspot-in-sofia-bulgaria-with-dabov-specialty-coffee/