If you feel like it's really time for a vacation, SOLO brewing has the solution! A liquid Caribbean vacation hidden in these beans. Don't believe us? As soon as you open the package, an intense and sweet aroma will fill the room, and you'll automatically start looking for a parasol and a deck chair to sit down with this Piña Colada. The first sip is like biting into a fresh, juicy coconut, which is immediately complemented by a distinctive, sparkling acidity reminiscent of lemonade. Everything then comes together in a creamy, sweet body with a subtle hint of rum. It'scrazy, it's bold, and it's an incredibly fun drink.
This taste miracle has its roots deep in the Colombian mountains of the Huila region, specifically on the renowned Finca Monteblanco farm. It is run by innovator and producer Rodrigo Sanchez Valencia, whose land is located at an altitude of 1,730 meters above sea level near the Cueva de los Guacharos National Park. The unique terroir of the Acevedo area is irrigated by the Suaza River, which provides the crystal-clear water necessary for cultivation and processing. For this particular lot, Rodrigo did not choose just any variety, but opted for the rare Purple Caturra. It differs from its common red sister not only in the darker color of its leaves and cherries, but above all physiologically – its measured sugar content (Brix) is significantly higher. It is this natural sugar that is the key fuel for the subsequent wild processing that gives the coffee its unmistakable character.
It is a method of co-fermentation that has been perfected. Rodrigo first created a special starter mixture of 10 different yeasts (including lactobacilli and Saccharomyces cerevisiae), to which he added cholupa (a sour fruit similar to passion fruit used in lemonades) and dried coconut. To help the bacteria thrive, he fed them molasses and panela and left the mixture to work for 8 days. Only then did he add hand-picked and sorted cherries to this active "cocktail," which were macerated in the bath for a full 180 hours. The beans thus absorbed all the fruit and coconut flavors. The coffee was then washed and dried on parabolic beds for25 to 30 days, with frequent stirring. The result is a technological and flavorful masterpiece.