Are you in the mood for something truly special and sweet? This natural Colombian coffee from Sprout Coffee roastery is almost like a liquid dessert in your cup. As soon as you grind the beans, the distinct aroma of black currants fills your kitchen. But once you pour hot water over it and take your first sip, the flavor transforms into a sweet, fruity punch with juicy bits of orange. All of this is beautifully wrapped in the deep flavor of agave syrup. What will impress you most, however, is the drink’s texture. The coffee is incredibly smooth on the tongue, and its richness is reminiscent of fluffy whipped cream.
The coffee comes from the La Guaca farm, located in the Pitalito area of Colombia’s Huila region. Farmer Jose Herman Salazar is behind this harvest. He moved here with his family from the Nariño area in search of better job opportunities. He started with just a small plot of land and gradually worked his way up to producing top-quality specialty coffee. Today, he involves his entire family in running the farm, and together they focus on growing unusual varieties such as Pink Bourbon and Bourbon Aji. It was with the rare Bourbon Aji variety that Herman achieved tremendous success in 2021, when he earned an impressive 6th place with it in the prestigious national Cup of Excellence competition.
This rare variety was processed using a meticulous natural method, which imparted to the beans their characteristic creamy texture and deep sweetness. After hand-picking the ripest cherries, workers spread them out on drying beds. There, the fruits were dried slowly and evenly, whole and with their pulp intact. This time-consuming process requires constant attention and regular turning of the layer to prevent any defects from forming. It is precisely thanks to this slow drying in the fresh air that a significant portion of the natural sugars from the pulp transferred directly into the bean’s interior. The result is a sweet and full-bodied coffee, the availability of which is severely limited on the market due to the demanding care required.
- Farm: La Guaca
- Producer: Jose Herman Salazar
- Elevation: 1,745 m above sea level