Finca El Diviso has been producing extremely high quality coffees for quite some time. Nestor and Adrian Lasso are in an endless pursuit of developing thought provoking flavor profiles that are truly unique. This pursuit of excellence has brought much acclaim and demand for the coffees they produce. Prior to receiving the sample for this coffee, I had never even heard of this particular varietal of the Bourbon family of coffees: Aji Bourbon. This varietal is a natural mutation of an Ethiopian Landrace varietal, similar to that of the Geisha varietal. This tends to produce coffees that are both floral and fruity/sweet, taking characteristics from both the Ethiopian and Colombian roots. The process begins with the harvesting of ripe cherries; removal of floaters, and washing with the cherries to eliminate impurities and bacteria. Cherries are then oxidized for 24 hours, to promote development of flavor compounds present in the pulp, enhancing the sweetness. Oxidation occurs for 24 hours in open drums with a subsequent anaerobic fermentation for 200 hours within a bioreactor. The cherry is immersed in water at temperatures between 28- 35 °C for 80 hours with recirculation, adding microorganisms reproduced from the cherry leachate “mossto”. Anaerobic yeast fermentation highlights the multi-stage processes and contributes to the coffee’s distinct and notable flavor profile. Water is drained, and oxidation continues for 40 hours, aiming for the coffee to reach a temperature of 50°C. The coffee undergoes a thermal shock with cold water, which is a specific method of rapidly cooling down coffee cherries. Hot water is then added again to eliminate microbial load. Coffee is dried in a hermetically sealed steel dehumidifier until it reaches 18%. To fix the precursors and byproducts generated in the first phase, a rapid initial drying is carried out to seal the pores of the coffee seeds and reduce the loss of volatile precursors. It follows a rest period for 18 - 24 hours and then continues drying in canopy shaded solar drying beds. I think this coffee is nothing short of excellent and it will definitely be in the conversation for best coffee I roast this year. Varietal: Aji BourbonProcessing: Anaerobic WashedCountry: ColombiaRegion: Bruselas, Pitalito - HuilaNotes: Passion Fruit, Fruit Punch, Stone Fruit
