MEET THE PRODUCER | Rodrigo Sanchez Valencia is a third generation coffee farmer, but his father and grandfather before him never considered the coffee they grew in terms of its cup profile. That is to say, they didn't really know that their farming and processing techniques could have a huge impact on the flavor and quality of the coffees they were producing. UNTIL. In 2002, Rodrigo participated in a local program that sought to communicate cupping, coffee competitions, and lot-scoring to children of coffee producers. With this newfound understanding and a profound desire to produce high-quality coffee consistently, Rodrigo and his family set off on a mission to re-imagine the work they'd been doing at Finca Monteblanco, and the coffees coming from that farm today are a testament to their rigorous persistence in that endeavor. TRUST THE PROCESS | Get ready to geek out with us—this mango-infused Purple Caturra lot would hold its own at any science fair of our youth. First, the mango infusion process begins with 190 hours of fermentation—not of the coffee cherries, but of the mother culture which is created on Rodrigo's farm, using micro-organisms derived from his own coffee trees. During those 190 hours, 80 liters of the indigenous mother culture is fed a mixture of orange juice, mangoes, and a sweetener, like molasses. The fruit ingredients contribute flavor while the sweetener increases the sugar content of the culture and fuels the fermentation process. Upon reaching the wet mill at the top of the farm, the coffee cherries picked for this unique process are measured for sugar content and then floated to remove lower density beans. The cherries are pulped before being placed in a 200-liter sealed tank, where they get to mingle with that mango-fueled mother culture for 180 hours. Once the party is over, the cherries are removed to dry in direct sunlight for the first 2–3 days, finishing that drying process under shaded canopies for an additional 15–18 days, or until 10–11% humidity is achieved. TAKE A SIP | Rodrigo Sanchez continues to wow us with his signature mango co-ferment! It remains perhaps the most balanced of all the co-ferment endeavors we've ever tasted, highlighting flavor properties of both its fermentation process and from the relatively rare Purple Caturra variety. Vibrant, fresh, and delightfully fruity, this coffee forgoes some of the funk in favor of fresh, tropical flavors: mango, passion fruit, and piña colada. Stone fruit, like fresh cherries, finds its way into the mix, culminating in a complex cup that could sway even the most ardent co-ferment skeptics. Origin | La Tacora, San Adolfo, Huila, Colombia Producer | Rodrigo Sanchez Valencia Farm | Finca Monteblanco Process | Co-ferment Variety | Purple Caturra Elevation | 1730 MASL
