TECHNICAL DETAILS
Origin: Colombia - Huila. Exactly here
Process: Co fermented
Altitude: 1730 meters above sea level.
Varietal: Pink Bourbon
Producer: Rodrigo Sanchez
Harvest: 2024
Tasting notes: Passion fruit
WHY WE LIKE IT
This is the first co-fermented coffee (with passion fruit) that we have added to our offer, and the truth is that when we tried it we liked it. We liked it a lot.
This coffee has been fermented with the yeasts that the passion fruit has consumed, and not with the fruit itself, which does not come into direct contact with the coffee. It is a curious process, with a clean final result and a subtle flavour, less evident than what is normally expected from a co-fermented product. If you are interested in finding out more, we explain the process in detail below.
This is a vibrant, fresh and tropical coffee. In the tasting notes, as is evident, we find passion fruit and a very fruity character. However, it has a sweetness that reminds us of a cheesecake, with a medium body and creamy texture.
HISTORY
Finca Monteblanco is located in the municipality of Acevedo, in the jurisdiction of San Adolfo, in the village of La Tocora, at an altitude of 1,730 meters above sea level. Its surroundings include the Cueva de Los Guácharos National Natural Park, one of the 59 protected areas within the Colombian National Natural Park System. Its proximity to the Suaza River Valley provides a natural connection with the environment and all it offers.
Monteblanco is a family farm managed by Rodrigo Sánchez Valencia, continuing the coffee growing tradition that began with his grandfather. Monteblanco's 14 hectares provide ideal conditions for growing diverse coffee varieties, including Geisha, Bourbon Rosado, Pacamara, Caturra Púrpura, Caturra Rojo, among others. These conditions, both physical and sensorial, have given rise to unique profiles that have gained worldwide recognition and have been well received by the most exclusive coffee markets.
Monteblanco experiences an average temperature ranging between 16 and 22 degrees Celsius, with 1700 hours of sunlight per year, making it ideal for coffee cultivation. The farm features parabolic and shade drying, extensive washing facilities, wet processing with pulping and fermentation, as well as a chiller that ensures stable temperatures of 10 to 14 degrees Celsius for cold fermentation.
As they themselves state, their goal is to be a sustainable company that leaves its mark on the history of the coffee world. They aspire to break down barriers and limitations, so they allow themselves to experiment with new ways of processing coffee:
"The fermentation process is still mysterious territory for us, but watching how the microorganisms, yeasts, enzymes and everything else happens at every step is truly impressive. This shows how, as producers, we can maximize our advantages, making the coffee industry remember us for what we have achieved and will continue to achieve with this bean, aspiring to be a reference for future generations and leaving a legacy full of curiosity and happiness in the discovery of the magic of coffee."
VARIETY AND PROCESS
First, the passion fruit infusion process begins with 190 hours of fermentation, not of the coffee cherries, but of the mother culture created on Rodrigo’s farm, using microorganisms derived from his own coffee trees.
During those 190 hours, 80 liters of the native mother culture are fed with a mixture of cholupa juice (a native fruit), passion fruit, and a sweetener, such as molasses. The fruit ingredients contribute to the flavor, while the sweetener increases the sugar content of the culture and fuels the fermentation process.
Upon arrival at the wet mill at the top of the farm, the coffee cherries selected for this unique process are measured to determine their sugar content and then undergo a flotation process to remove the lower density beans.
The cherries are then pulped before being placed in a sealed 200-litre tank, where they are mixed with that mother culture fed with passion fruit for 180 hours. Once this process is complete, the cherries are removed to dry in direct sunlight for the first 2-3 days, and then the drying process is completed under shaded awnings for an additional 15-18 days, or until a humidity level of 10-11% is reached.
For this process, Purple Caturra was chosen due to its high sugar content, which allows the microorganisms to have an optimal area to work.
In this co-fermented process, this point of balance is achieved, which works to highlight the notes of the fruit without the flavor being invasive and overshadowing the coffee.
RECIPE
For filter:
We used 18 grams of ground coffee and 320 grams of final water at 92 ºC, in a total time of 2'15" / 2'30". We make five pours:
- Pouring 50g of water in 30"
- Pour 110 gr of water up to 1'
- Pouring 170 gr of water up to 1'25"
- Pouring 270 gr of water up to 1'35"
- Pouring 320 gr of water up to 2'35"
| EXPERIMENTATION VARIABLES | |
| Rest: 2 weeks (15-20 days) | |
| Method: Orea | |
| Grinder : EK43 | |
| Water : Pentair Everpure 70ppm |
