This is our fifth year in a row working with the superstar producer that is Jairo Arcila. We have brought in a range of coferments over the years, and they continue to become more refined and yet distinctive at the same time. This lot has undergone a 48 hour anaerobic fermentation with both banana and wine yeast added to the barrels. The cup is a creamy and sweet delight, banana milkshake-esque, with added creamy and sweet white chocolate for good measure, vanilla lingers for a long finish.
Co-fermented coffees have been growing massively in popularity over the last couple of years, yet they are still undoubtedly divisive, we would highly recommend you try some and make your own mind up. Go bananas.
Last week we ran a fantastic coferment cupping at our party on Wednesday 22nd October, and if you're here because of that - then good news! The favourite lot had sold out, but we have indeed purchased the next cherry lot in production that came out on top, and hope to receive delivery of it early next year!
JAIRO ARCILA
Jairo Arcila is a 63 year old engineer who, after working for a few years as an engineer, was offered a role by the same company to manage a dry mill in Pereira, Risaralda. Jairo has been working for the last 40 years for RACAFE, the second largest exporter of coffee in Colombia. At RACAFE, Jairo worked as a mill manager for 30 years and for the last 10 years he has been managing the lower grades business.
Jairo started growing coffee 35 years ago when his father got very sick and could not manage his farm anymore. After a few years Jairo managed to purchase his own land and continues growing coffee until today.
PROCESSING
This coffee was grown by Jairo Arcila at Finca Santa Mónica. The coffee is harvested following strict ripeness criteria, ensuring that only perfectly ripe cherries are selected, Then the coffee cherries are packaged in GrainPro bags and transported to the processing centre in La Pradera. Upon arrival at La Pradera, the cherries undergo a meticulous quality control process, including hand sorting and floatation to remove any low density, underripe or defective cherries. Then the cherries then undergo a dray anaerobic 48 hour fermentation, during this stage the banana and wine yeast are added.
Following the fermentation , the cherries are pulped and thoroughly washed to remove the mucilage. The wastewater generated during the processing is then treated using a green filtration system. This system filters the water through a series of specialised tanks before irrigating it into vetiver grass beds. Through this natural filtration process, the water is purified and a sa result no contaminated water is discharged from the processing center, ensuring an environmentally sustainable operation.
Once the coffee has been washed, it is then spread out on raised beds. The team monitors them closely to ensure even drying and optimal quality. The process aims for a moisture content of 9.5-11%.
This microlot is 100% Castillo.
CASTILLO
The introduction of Castillo has had a transformative impact on coffee farming in Colombia. Its highre yields and disease resistance has enabled farmers to achieve grester productivity and stability, reducing their reliance in synthetic fetilisers and improving the sustainability of their operations. This has been particularly crucial for smallholder farmers, who are often the most vulnerable to economic and environmental shocks.
Today, Castillo is widely cultivated across Colombia. Its success underscores the importance of continued investment in agricultural research and development to ensures the resilience and sustainability of the global coffee industry.
