Sebastian Gomez - Slow Dried
ROAST | LIGHT MEDIUM
ORIGIN | QUINDIO, ARMENIA, COLOMBIA
NOTES | TART CHERRY, BLUE RAZZ, ORANGE ZEST, DARK CHOCOLATE
Sebastian Gomez is quickly becoming a real household name here at Black & White. In the last calendar year alone, his coffees have featured on our menu no less than five times, including as critical components in two of our proudest blends - Happy Birthday Pink Bourbon, and the simply sublime The Future: Champagne New Year.
When it comes to exceptional and experimental processing methods, Sebastian Gomez is a pioneer. He has been perfecting these unique methods on his farm in the southern region of Quindio for years, and what he's done with this natural Pink Bourbon lot is truly remarkable.
Processing: You'll notice at the very first sip that this coffee has been pretty heavily influenced by its processing. Sebastian used a method he calls EF2, or Extended Fermentation, Variation #2. You might be more familiar with a similar approach to processing, called Slow Dried, from Panamanian coffees. EF2 is a unique, multi-fermentation processing method first developed by Felipe and Carlos Arcila, and it has been used here by Sebastian to create a vibrant, fermentation-forward coffee. During this process, the coffee cherries initially go through 24 hours of aerobic fermentation before being sealed in airtight bags and undergoing several stages of anaerobic fermentation. The overall fermentation and drying times are extended well beyond those numbers we normally see, resulting in a coffee that is deliberately funky (though, we'd argue, not toooooo funky).
In the cup: There's a lot going on here! With tasting notes of everything from tart cherry and blue razz to orange zest and dark chocolate, sipping this coffee reminds us of sampling a box of artisan bon bons. The coffee also showcases different flavors as it changes temperature. When hot, for example, it is distinctly boozier in nature. Red fruits take center stage as the coffee begins to cool, and citrus really shines through once the cup has cooled completely. So really, the metaphor mentioned earlier works quite nicely in the end: just like a box of chocolates, you never know what you're going to get.
Producer | Sebastian Gomez
Farm | Finca La Divisa
Process | Slow Dried Natural
Variety | Pink Bourbon
Elevation | 1700-1750 masl
Brewing Suggestions For Our Coffee At Home
“How should I brew coffee from Black & White?” We get this question a lot, and we love chatting about how folks can get the most out of the coffees we roast. But, since everybody’s gear setup, water sources, and preferences are different, we haven’t found a great way to post definitive brew guides for specific coffees.
We do have some tips that have seemed to help most folks, though…
First, our coffees do great with a bit of rest. In our cafes, we’ve discovered that things really start to shine at or after 14 days post roast. You certainly don’t have to wait so long, but you’ll notice the cup’s clarity increase over time. Clean, washed coffees tend to need less rest than funkier coffees that feature higher-impact fermentation methods (like naturals, anaerobic naturals, or co-ferments).
For espresso, we start all of our coffees at a 1:2 ratio with a brew time around 24 seconds. This recipe usually works great for year round coffees and single origin coffees with lower impact fermentations. Funky coffees often get the longer ratio treatment (sometimes up to 1:3), but your preferences may lead you elsewhere. We celebrate that!
For filter style coffee, we tend to like hotter (at or above 205F), faster (at or under 3 minutes) brews. Our roasting philosophy focuses on maximizing sweetness and solubility in all our coffees, so you’re probably safe applying your favorite recipe.
If you have more questions, feel free to shoot us a DM or email. We’re always here for curiosity. Oh! And don’t forget–if it tastes good, it is good.
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