Floral and tropical—that’s this Colombian coffee from the Polish roaster HAYB Coffee. In the cup, elderflower syrup, herbs, and sweet mango come together to create an unusual yet pleasantly sweet and aromatic profile. Elderflower syrup brings an intense floral sweetness, herbs add a fresh and slightly spicy character, while mango complements the whole experience with juicy tropical fruitiness. This is a distinctive filter coffee that will delight lovers of unconventional flavors and experimental processing methods in particular.
The coffee comes from the Nariño region of Colombia, where the family-run El Paseo farm is located at an elevation of 1,800 meters above sea level, overlooking the Buesaco Valley. Behind the farm is Huver Castillo, a third-generation producer who, in addition to growing coffee, also teaches mathematics. He works alongside his father on the farm, and together they focus on innovative methods that push the boundaries of coffee processing. For this lot, they selected the Caturra variety, whose flavor potential they decided to unlock through an unconventional fermentation process.
The beans were processed using an experimental anaerobic washed method. First, the whole coffee cherries undergo a 36-hour pre-fermentation, followed by six days of anaerobic fermentation with the addition of sea salt and special enzymes designed to enhance the coffee’s floral character. The skin is then removed, and the coffee is gently dried in a room where the temperature does not exceed 38 °C. Finally, the beans rest for another 15 days to allow their characteristics to stabilize. The result is an intense and aromatically distinctive filter coffee that demonstrates how unusual flavors can emerge through experimental processing.
- Farm: El Paseo
- Producer: Huver Castillo
- Elevation: 1,800 m above sea level