Colombia Finca Monteblanco Cold Ferment Pink Bourbon
Rodrigo Sanchez spent 2 years perfecting his cold fermentation process and the result is a fresh take on Pink Bourbon. While this treasured variety usually makes for a super bright and lively cup, cold fermentation rounds off those edges and brings mature depth to the table. This coffee is rich and velvety with structured acidity. We noted apple pie, pear, meyer lemon and caramel along with subtle florals and a rich dark chocolate undertone.
Pink Bourbon is a natural mutation of the very popular Bourbon variety found and cherished in Colombia. It has exploded in popularity in the Specialty Coffee Industry in the last few years. In fact, veteran home roasters may even be a little, dare I say, over it! Well how about if we put a fun spin on it?
Cold fermentation seems simple enough on paper – leave the cherries in a cool environment to slow down and prolong fermentation. When carefully controlled and monitored, this should give the coffee more complexity while maintaining a clean cup. That is to say, without some of the “fermenty” flavors sometimes associated with long fermentation. So farmer Rodrigo Sanchez and his team set to work! But it took a surprising amount of trail and error to nail down the variables. The temperature couldn’t drop too low or fermentation would stall and the Brix (sugar content) of the coffee cherries had to be monitored carefully to achieve the ideal balance. Thankfully for us, Rodrigo stuck with it and now we get to enjoy the fruits (or I suppose seeds) of his labor! What results is a microlot with a much-needed fresh take on Pink Bourbon! While Pink Bourbon is usually super fresh, crisp and bright, this cup is much more gentle and deep. Matured. It’s had the edges smoothed down and the result is a velvety, rich cup with structed acidity that still maintains that clean finish. We noted a combo of cooked apples and baking spices which combine to create something akin to apple pie or maybe even apple butter. Next up we got ripe pear, a touch of meyer lemon and just a hint of florals with a deep dark chocolate undertone. If you’ve ever wondered what a Pink Bourbon would be like if you could switch the dial from “cool” to “warm”, this coffee is for you!Reminder! This coffee is raw, you must roast it before brewing
Arrival Date: May 22nd, 2024 Harvest: 2023-2024 Crop, Packed in GrainPro
Acidity & Brightness: Gentle brightness and sweetness
Balance & Finish: Balanced with a very clean finish
Body & Texture: Rich with a velvety texture
Flavors: Apple pie, pear, meyer lemon, caramel & dark chocolate
Grade: Excelso, grown at 1730 masl
Processing: Cold fermented & Washed – Fermented at 10 – 13 degrees Celsius (50 – 55 Fahrenheit) for 76 hours then fully washed. Sun dried for 3 day then dried under canopies for an additional 23 to 25 days of drying.
Grower: Rodrigo Sanchez | Finca Monteblanco
Region: Acevedo, Huila, Colombia
Varieties: Pink Bourbon
Recommended Roast Range: City to Full City+ (Light to medium-dark)
We like this coffee best at a City+ (light-medium) roast or as 1st crack begins to trail off (about 1:00 to 1:30 mins development). At lighter roasts, the acidity will shine through more and you’ll get a bit more florality at the expense of sweetness. Some roasters may prefer Full Medium (between the cracks or about 2 mins development) if you prioritize sweetness and want to get more velvety texture out of the cup. You can push this roast as far as very early 2nd crack, but you run the risk of the cup being dull by giving up too much acidity.
List & Beisler
"The state of Huila is located in the southern part of Colombia. It is the geographic spot where the Andes Mountains form a knot. Finca Monteblanco is in this state, right in the municipality of Acevedo, on the La Tocora trail. This family farm is managed by Rodrigo Sanchez, who began growing coffee alongside his grandfather. Varieties such as Geisha, Pink Bourbon, Pacamara, Purple, and Red Caturra grow on the farm at elevations of around 1,700 masl.This selection is a Pink Bourbon that underwent a new process called “cold fermentation”. It consists of pulping the coffee and taking it to a cooling room to lengthen its fermentation. Developing this process was no easy task, it took about 2 years of study to find the ideal balance between the measurement of Brix degrees, and the time and temperature of fermentation. The efforts paid off, as Rodrigo achieved beautiful and diverse profiles along with increased consistency in the cup. This coffee was fermented at temperatures between 10 - 13 degrees Celcius for 76 hours. Following fermentation, the coffee was carefully washed, sent to dry under the sun for 3 days, and then passed to canopies to continue drying for 23 to 25 days.”
