SINGLE ORIGIN

LA PLATA, HUILA, COLOMBIA

NOTES: CANDIED ORANGE, BLACK CHERRY, BROWN SUGAR

This is a blend from a group of 18 producers in Alto Cañada, La Plata. Kyle met them last year and was humbled by their kindness and impressed by their amazing coffee quality. Its members showed an inspiring amount of dedication to producing the highest quality coffee possible, along with an uncompromising commitment to transitioning to fully organic production. We have always loved coffees from La Plata, and some of the earliest coffees we received were from here and finding a group of producers this organized and dedicated is very rare. We are very excited to see what they are capable of doing in the coming years.

Producer: A group of 18 Producers from Alto, Cañada

Variety: Caturra, Castillo, Colombian Varieties

Process: Washed

Elevation: 1800 masl

SINGLE ORIGIN

PALESTINA, HUILA, COLOMBIA

NOTES: FLORAL, COMPLEX CITRUS, RIPE CHERRY, SWEET

Our love affair with Pink Bourbon continues with another beautiful selection from Producer Wilson Alba, of Palestina, Huila, Colombia.  He is good friends with Jose Martinez, who's coffee blew us away earlier this year. Pink Bourbon was given out and propagated mostly in Huila, and it seems to love these dramatic growing conditions.  It is called Bourbon Rosado in Spanish, and we at Black & White can't get enough.

This beautiful variety was believed to be a Bourbon type because of its cherry shape. The term "Rosado"(Pink) comes from the color at which the cherries ripen. In reality the color is light reddish orange but the Cherries do look very different from Orange Bourbon.

The latest work in genetic study shows that Pink Bourbon actually has heritage in Ethiopia, as one of the thousands of varieties that exist there, some natural and some cultivated. This seems to explain Pink Bourbon coffees pronounced floridity, and crisp clean citric like acidity, like an Ethiopian Coffee. The heavy sweetness and cherry notes come from the soil, and agricultural practices of the area in which it is grown.

Producer & Farm: Wilson Alba, "Finca Sierra Morena"

Variety: Pink Bourbon

Process: Washed

Altitude: 1750 masl

SINGLE ORIGIN | DIRECT TRADE

TARRAZÚ, COSTA RICA

NOTES: CINNAMON, STRAWBERRIES AND CREAM, COMPLEX

Cordillera del Fuego (the name of the farm) comes from producer Luis Eduardo Campos who is an independent Costa Rican coffee farmer, constantly looking for innovative ways to improve coffee production. This coffee, in particular, was processed with Anaerobic fermentation. You may have heard about such process from the 2018 World Barista Championship where the top contenders all used coffees that were produced using this method.

The Anaerobic process owes its ideas from the wine industry's use of yeasts to produce champagnes and other wines. During the fermentation process, the coffee sits in an oxygen-free steel container with sugar cane water. This builds up lactic and malic acids which add to the coffee's complexity and flavor. Once ready the coffee is 100% sun-dried. We love bringing in coffees that highlight new innovations in coffee production.

FARM:  Cordillera del Fuego

Producer: Luis Eduardo Campos

Variety: Caturra

PROCESS: Anaerobic Washed

ELEVATION: 1,750 masl

YEAR ROUND

COLOMBIA (EL EDEN JAVA NATURAL)  | PERU (ITALIA SANCHEZ) 

NOTES: JUICY, TROPICAL, COMPLEX

Anaerobic coffees have rewritten the rules for Barista Competition's around the world. In the last two years the top 6 Competitors at both the USBC (United States Barista Championship) and the WBC (World Barista Championship) have utilized coffees with this style of fermentation.

As a result, this new method of processing has inspired us to create our own product that focuses on highlighting the complex acidity and vibrant fruit flavors found in these coffees. Not simply concerned with cupping scores and competition points, we believe for a number of reasons that this style of fermentation truly is the future.  

In a time when the Commodity Market value for coffee is dropping lower and lower, producers are always looking for ways to maximize their earnings on a given crop. However, in order to do so they are forced to produce high scoring coffees in order to make these premiums. This is made even harder when a lot of these coffee farms do not have the high elevation required to produce the complex flavors and  boutique varieties found in specialty coffee (such as Gesha, Pink Bourbon, Java).

However, in the last few years many more farms have had access to anaerobic processing, which done simply can add acidity, and complex fruit character to the cup. Anaerobic processing, in its most basic form is holding the coffee (either in cherry, or pulped) in an oxygen free environment (which can be achieved a number of ways) for an extended time in order to promote the growth of bacteria, Lactobacillus. Where, Lactobacillus is the agent that promotes acidity by producing lactic acid. The result of this is the acidification of the coffee pulp, which translates to a more vibrant coffee both on the cupping table and in the cafe. 

This main benefit of this unique style of processing is that it can make coffees that are grown at low elevations taste very similar to coffees grown at higher elevations. As the global climate warms, farmers must go higher and higher up the mountain in order to achieve the same results, but for most producers this simply is not possible.

Now, however farmers can add acidity and complexity through processing and thus combat the effects of climate change, at least in the cup.

This Blend will showcase these coffees and their varying profiles from around the world. Most of these coffees that we are currently sourcing are coming from Colombia, but we are also sourcing some from Ethiopia, Costa Rica, and Peru. With some being washed, some natural and some honey.  

This version is a blend of an Anaerobic Process from Huila, Colombia; blended with the ever vibrant El Eden Washed Java from Tolima, Colombia.  This is a juicy and clean cup represented by the blue corner on the label. This corner will change as the flavor profile and blend components shift throughout the year.

We hope you all enjoy this adventure into what we believe to be the future of specialty coffee.

 - Kyle Ramage (Co-owner | Green Coffee Buyer)

Regions:  Tolima, Colombia | Peru

Process:  Anaerobic Natural and Anaerobic Washed

Elevation: 1450 - 1800