COLOMBIA FINCA VILLA BETULIA BOURBON PAPAYO

Tasting Notes: Chocolate, Caramel, Almond, Apricot, Black Cherry

Roast: light/Medium

Varietal: Bourbon Papayo

Process: Washed 

Producer: Yeisson Calderon, Finca Villa Betulia

Finca Villa Betulia – Bourbon Papayo

Luis Anibal Calderon is somewhat of a local celebrity among Colombian coffee farmers. And for good reason. His dedication to preserving his father’s legacy and producing high quality coffee in Huila at Finca Villa Betulia is an inspiring story. This tradition is now passing down to Luis’ son, Yeison, who is taking up the mantle of managing the estate alongside his father. On this idyllic farm that sits high up in the mountains at 1,550masl, they nurture over 20 rare and exceptional coffee varieties like geisha and pink bourbon.

Originally thought to be a Caturra mutation, the rare Papayo variety is in fact closely related to Ethiopian Landrace varieties. The Papayo variety cherries have a distinctive, elongated shape and a cup quality that is singular in its own right.

Washed Process Green Coffee

In the “washed” or “wet” process coffee cherries are floated and sorted to ensure consistent ripeness and to remove any defective cherries. The seeds (coffee beans) are then removed from their skins using depulping machines and typically moved to fermentation tanks to remove the mucilage—the remaining fruit remnants. Afterward, the coffee is washed and dried until it reaches the optimal moisture level.

Washed processing has become widely popular. The cup profile of washed coffees tends to reflect the terroir of the coffee. The processing method allows the growing conditions, the region, and the true character of the coffee to shine through.

Colombian Coffee

Over half a million families dedicate their livelihoods to producing unroasted Colombia green coffee on small farms that dot the country’s volcanic mountain ranges. As the world’s third-largest producing country, the volume, quality, and variety that comes out of Colombia year-round is staggering. Coffee from Colombia is never dull, and with 16 coffee-producing regions along three mountain ranges and two harvests each year, Colombia always has fresh coffee on hand.