This coffee, which the DAK roastery describes as one of the ones they’ve been coming back to most often this year, is now called Juice Box (formerly known as Honeymoon). It is a clean and very satisfying washed coffee whose flavor profile is more reminiscent of Ethiopian coffees than typical Colombian blends. In the cup, you can look forward to a bright and juicy blood orange flavor, complemented by the freshness of rhubarb and the warm sweetness of honey, creating a beautifully clean and bright flavor profile.
The coffee comes from the Las Perlitas producer group in Colombia’s Antioquia region, specifically from the Urrao area, which is one of the most exciting regions for growing specialty coffee. This particular lot is a blend of the Chiroso variety, a genetically identified Ethiopian heirloom variety grown in this region at an elevation of 2,000 meters above sea level. It is precisely the cool temperatures here and the slow development of the coffee cherries that concentrate the aromatic compounds and build the profile that makes this coffee so compelling.
The uniqueness of this profile is ensured by a processing method called “cochadas.” This is a gradual processing method that reflects the practical reality of small-scale harvesting. Hand-picked cherries are hulled every 4 to 7 days and added to the coffee from previous days, gradually homogenizing the lots. Most of the fermentation takes place in water, which keeps the profile clean and free of the excessive “funky” character that other methods can introduce. On the last day of the cycle, all the coffee is washed together and then dried to the optimal moisture content.