Colombia El Espejo Yeast-Inoculated Washed
The Cup:
This is a truly wild, exciting coffee, and the best example of yeast inoculation we’ve experienced to date. You can expect bright, fresh pineapple flavor paired with boozy white rum. Delicate citrus and a light creamy body come together to remind us of key lime pie. In the finish, zingy, mouthwatering passionfruit lingers and leaves you craving another sip!
Farm: Finca El Espejo
Region: Santa Maria, Huila
Elevation: 1850m
Variety: Caturra, Colombia
Process: Yeast Inoculated Washed
Finca El Espejo in Santa María, Huila, is managed by Reinel Borbon, a second-generation coffee grower who has been in the industry for 15 years. His family also helps him on the farm, and his eldest son (21) has started learning the secret Borbon recipe from his father! Finca El Espejo consists of 4 hectares of land and sits at an elevation of 1,850 meters, with around 13,000 coffee trees in production which include Pink Bourbon, Caturra, and Colombia, Java and Papayo varieties.
During our visit to Finca El Espejo in 2023, we were inspired by the beautiful setting, and the incredibly steep slopes of the farm gave us a renewed appreciation for the work that goes into our cup of coffee. Our importing partner and Reinel have been perfecting their yest-inoculated process over the last few harvests which we’re finally so excited to share with you!
Processing:
This lot, like all of Reinel’s, begins with the careful harvest of only the ripest cherries, and an initial 20-hour dry fermentation in cherry. After the initial fermentation, coffee is depulped and placed in open barrels to ferment alongside Reinel’s yeast substrate for up to 80 hours, then washed and dried on raised beds. This fermentation results in the sparkling acidity, creamy body, and wild, boozy character that make this coffee truly unique.
