Nobody wants to say, 'Good Bye', to our beloved Ethiopia, Aricha, but this Summer we bring you two 'Top Shelf' coffees from Colombia. They truly capture everything we admire in Colombian coffee. The first is a washed process Tabi coffee. The second is a washed process Pink Bourbon coffee produced by the Vergara family from Las Flores farm in the Huila region. This is located at an altitude of 1730 MASL and was harvested from last October to January. 

The genetic lineage of this pink bourbon coffee is still a topic of debate. Some believe that it is a varietal endemic to Ethiopia, others that it is native to the Huila region of Colombia. Regardless of where this varietal is originally from, the Huila region is home to a range of pink bourbon variations with an exciting spread of flavour profiles. This is because pink bourbon is a mutation of two other coffee varietals, namely, yellow bourbon and red bourbon. At times, pink bourbon can be difficult to pick as it can easily be mistaken for a still unripe red bourbon which always grows in the same region. After the cherries are picked they are floated, washed and then oxidized for 24 hours. Then they are depulped and fermented with their mucilage for 36 hours. They are then administered a thermal shock by adding hot water (50 C) to their fermentation. Finally, they are dried for 8 to 15 days, depending on weather conditions. 

There is a particular kind of high sweetness and silky body that pink bourbon coffees are known for and this coffee from Vergara family is a excellent example to learn from! We find it refreshing to see Edilberto use thermal shock as a modern coffee processing method in such a gentle way so as to elevate this distinctive varietal harvested from its home region. To our great surprise we have also been finding flavours of orange rind, yuzu and lavender.

Sit back and relax, or rather, sip back and relax as your next top shelf coffees have arrived! We love to roast and serve such vibrant yet delicate tasting coffees and hope you enjoy them too.