ROAST | MEDIUM 

CALDAS, COLOMBIA

NOTES:  CANDIED LIME, CHERRY JUICE, CHOCOLATE

Situated in the Central mountain range of the Andes, near the Magdalena river sits the towns of this group of small producers who contributed to the unique microlot processed by Juan Felipe. Colombia seems to be the industry leaders when it comes to fermentation and experimental processing, and Juan Felipe fits the mold perfectly. Young, talented, and willing to take some risks. 

This group of producers love big fruity coffees that boarder on the wild. This coffee is exactly that with huge acidity, and intense fruit flavors showcasing all of Juan Felipe's hard work. At his wet mill, Juan Felipe is known as the "alquimist." He personally oversees the processing of all high-quality cherries like this lot. 

Growers will deliver ripe cherries to the mill where they are sorted for quality and washed. From there the cherries are moved to sealed tanks for the maceration (anaerobic fermentation) process. The cherries were left to ferment for 48 hours and then dried on raised beds in solar dryers to ensure even drying. This adds to the complexity of flavor in this coffee and we are so excited to share it with you all.

Producer: Juan Felipe Aristizábal

Region: Villamaria, Chinchina and Manizales in Caldas

Variety: Caturra, Colombia, and Castillo

Process: Anaerobic Natural

Elevation: 1800 - 2100 masl

ROAST | LIGHT MEDIUM

PITALITO, HUILA, COLOMBIA

NOTES: PEACH, FRUIT PUNCH, BLACKBERRY JAM, BROWN SUGAR

Elkin Guzman is a bit of a rock star when it comes to coffee producers. He is known for his experimentation not only with processing but as well as with varieties. Elkin and his mother, Mrs. Fanny Vargas are in charge of the operation and development of processes on the farm of Finca El Mirador. In 2016, Lem Butler (co-owner) visited the farm and got to meet Elkin Guzman, however it was not until recently through social media that we at Black & White were able to connect. 

This means of connecting has become an increasingly popular way to communicate between producers and coffee roasters. Facebook and WhatsApp are the most common ways for us to communicate directly with the majority of our directly sources coffees. 

Thanks to Ally coffee, we were able to taste Elkins favorite lots, and we selected one of the most complex and fruit forward Natural process coffees to share.  

This lot is a Striped Bourbon, which is a natural mutation of the famed Bourbon Variety. In fact Elkin Guzman discovered this variety from a sample sent to him from a producer in San Adolfo. When Elkin consulted with the producer, he told Elkin that it was a coffee that he had some years ago and had decided to leave it despite the susceptibility to rust but he liked its production. Elkin saw the potential in this variety and started growing it on Finca El Mirador.

Striped Bourbon showcases a more vibrant acidity and when paired with Elkin's Anaerobic Natural process gives this coffee a vibrant, fruit forward taste with complex juicy acidity, and intense sweetness. There isn't much you more you could wish for.

Process: Anaerobic Natural

Producer: Elkin Guzman

Farm: Finca El Mirador

Variety: Striped Bourbon

Location: Pitalito, Huila, Colombia

Altitude: 1550 - 1700 masl

ROAST | MEDIUM

SUL DE MINAS, BRAZIL

NOTES: TROPICAL, BOOZY, WILD

Back in 2017 Kyle (co-owner) met the Peixoto family at their farm in Brazil while on a trip with Ally Coffee. Later that week Kyle began to chat through processing and the experiments the Peisoto Family had in the works.  That first year the experiment was quite small but Estudo #1 was a super tasty rather wild anaerobic washed coffee that was a huge hit. All 3 of the Estudo coffees have been super fun, and are a physical embrace of experimentation and the exploration of flavor possibility. Estudo #3 is by far the most wild, but also by far our favorite. We can't wait to hear what you think about this fun, tropical, boozy and tiki like cocktail naturally processed Brazilian Coffee.  

Estudo, is the Portuguese word for study and is the name of this experimental process series from the Peixoto family. Here they take a micro-lot from their farm and try an experimental process in order to learn a little more about flavor development. With every experiment, the Peixoto family learns even more about the importance and affect of controlled fermentation to producing coffee flavors, which furthers their excitement for the future of coffee production. 

For Estudo No 3, José Peixoto and team picked the cherries of the yellow catucai at the peak of their ripeness, depulped them and put them into a trailer of water with yeast and a special type of bacteria called malolactic bacteria. They then added a specific set of nutrients needed by the microbes, which allows the microbes to thrive and multiply and produce more ester and phenol as their bi-products. These compounds are the building blocks of exciting flavors that we love in coffee. The coffee was then allowed to ferment for 90 hours before drying. 

Producer: José Augusto Peixoto

Farm: Fazenda São José da Boa Vista

Variety: Yellow Catucai

Process: Experimental Anaerobic

Elevation: 1250 masl

ROAST | LIGHT 

GOMMA, JIMMA,  ETHIOPIA

NOTES: FLORAL, CANDIED CITRUS, PEACH, HONEY

Every  year it is race to get the first washed Ethiopian coffees to the US, and out to customers. These coffees represent most clearly what the majority of coffee professionals love about coffee. Clean bright acidity, with floral and complex fruit notes. This is what I personally gravitate towards, and was the first coffee for me that gave me that transcendent "Ah, Ha" moment, when I realized coffee could be some much more than bitter and brown.

We are so happy to get a super early offering to the market with the help of Tim Hill and Atlantic Specialty. Geta Bore is a member of one of our favorite production groups Kata Muduga Famers Union. They produce some of the best coffees in Ethiopia year after year, and this lot is steller.  

This lot in particular has more of a fruited profile than our more recent coffees from Worka. Flowers and candied citrus are the first things you will experience, next this beautiful acidity like fresh stonefruit, along with almost a peach tea and of course that amazing Ethiopian coffee sweetness. 

As a relatively new cooperative, Geta Bore Farmers Cooperative was established in 2018, and is comprised of 232 smallholders who deliver ripe red cherry to local wet mills. The cooperative's producers are located in the higher-altitude areas of Gomma woreda, which can be difficult to reach during the rainy season because of hazardous road conditions. The members typically travel by horse or donkey to deliver their harvest to the cooperative.

Producer: Geta Bore Farmers Cooperative

Variety: Bishari 74110, Other JARC Selections, and Indigenous Landraces

Process: Washed

Elevation: 2000 - 2100 masl