This Colombian coffee from the California-based roastery Hydrangea Coffee Roasters is exactly the kind of coffee you probably won’t want to keep all to yourself at the table. It’s fragrant, sweet, and distinctly tropical, yet it retains a pleasant clarity and elegance. On the palate, you’ll find lychee, a delicate floral hint of sakura, and the velvety sweetness of white chocolate. Thanks to the washed co-ferment with lychee, the cup feels juicy, aromatic, and a bit like a little trip to a place with more sunshine, fruit, and relaxation.
The coffee comes from the Finca Santa Monica farm in Colombia’s Quindío region, where it was grown by Felipe Arcila. Felipe, together with his brother Carlos, runs the company Cofinet, and both are continuing the family tradition of coffee farming now in its fourth generation. Their father, Jairo Arcila, is a third-generation grower, and the brothers drew on his experience, even though their path to coffee ultimately took them through studies in Australia. Felipe was so inspired by the local coffee culture there that, upon returning to Colombia, he began to devote himself fully to specialty coffee. The Castillo variety is popular in Colombia mainly for its hardiness and reliability in cultivation, which allows it to thrive even in the variable conditions of mountainous regions. The beans were grown at an elevation of 1,450 to 1,500 meters.
Processing was carried out using the washed method with co-fermentation, in which fresh or macerated lychee is added to the fermentation along with wine yeast. During fermentation, the coffee beans thus acquire a more pronounced fruity aroma without the cup losing the clarity typical of washed processing. The result is a sweet, floral, and tropical coffee that works especially well in a filter.
- Altitude: 1,450–1,500 m above sea level
- Producer: Felipe Arcila