Producer: Mauro Reyes & Esperanza Reyes
Altitude: 1800 masl
Varieties: Castillo, Colombia
Process: Yellow Honey
Fermentation: Double Fermentation (72h Cherry / 24h Depulped)

We are delighted to share this coffee from our good friends Esperanza and Mauro Reyes, who help coordinate the journey of coffee from Nariño all the way to Ireland. They are part of the Reyes Burbano family from the community of La Unión, where coffee farming has been part of everyday life for generations.

We were especially impressed when we visited El Derrumbo farm last year, where Esperanza and Mauro have been placing a strong focus on fermentation and experimenting with different processing methods to explore new flavour profiles and push quality even further.

This lot is produced using a Yellow Honey process, a method that sits somewhere between a washed and a natural coffee. Honey processes are named according to how much of the sticky fruit mucilage is left on the bean after depulping, ranging from white honey through to black honey. In the case of yellow honey, a moderate amount of mucilage is retained, contributing additional sweetness and a rounder texture in the cup.

For this lot, only perfectly ripe cherries are selected before being placed into sealed tanks for 72 hours of anaerobic fermentation in cherry. During this stage, the coffee ferments without oxygen, allowing naturally occurring yeasts and bacteria to slowly break down sugars within the fruit and develop more complex aromatic compounds.

After this initial fermentation, the cherries are depulped and undergo a further 24 hours of fermentation with the remaining mucilage still attached to the bean, reinforcing the characteristic sweetness and fruit expression associated with honey processed coffees.

The result is a vibrant and expressive cup that beautifully reflects both the innovative work happening at El Derrumbo and the careful attention to detail of Esperanza and Mauro. Expect a sweet and juicy profile with notes of caramel, orange, and lime.