Cherry candies, ripe strawberries, and sweet cola all in one cup? That’s exactly what this experimental Colombian blend from The Barn tastes like—a special Halloween edition. The flavor profile combines cherry candies, strawberries, vanilla, and cola, which together create an intense, sweet, and thoroughly fruity profile. As soon as you open the bag, you’ll be greeted by a distinct cherry aroma, while as it gradually cools, subtler notes of dark chocolate and cherry milkshake emerge. This pour-over coffee will especially delight lovers of unconventional flavors who aren’t afraid to experiment.
Behind this coffee is Jairo Arcila, a third-generation producer from the Quindío region of Colombia. Coffee trees here grow at an elevation of 1,500 meters above sea level, on fertile volcanic soils in the northern Andes. The region is part of Colombia’s coffee landscape, which is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Jairo has long been dedicated to innovative processing and also collaborates with his sons Carlos and Felipe, who founded the company Cofinet. The company helps bring specialty Colombian coffee to roasters around the world.
The variety used is Castillo, and the beans were processed using the experimental “cherry co-ferment” method. After harvest, the ripe coffee cherries are sorted by hand and undergo flotation to remove defective fruits. This is followed by a 48-hour dry anaerobic fermentation, during which fresh cherries are also added to the sealed tanks. During fermentation, these cherries influence the resulting flavor profile, giving the coffee an intense fruity character and concentrated sweetness. The result is an unusual filter coffee that resembles a sweet cherry dessert more than a classic cup of coffee.
- Producer: Jairo Arcila
- Altitude: 1,500 m above sea level