Colombia - El Mirador - Pink Champagne Washed - 8oz

Elevation: 1550-1750 MASL

Located in the village of El Portal in Huila, Colombia, El Mirador is a 31-hectare farm planted with several varieties. Elkin Guzman, the owner of El Mirador, has been surrounded by coffee since he was born. His family has always been involved in coffee cultivation, trading, or retail. Collectively, his family has celebrated over 70 years in coffee now, with 12 years of research devoted to post-harvest processing techniques. All of this research and experience has brought Elkin to utilize multiple processing techniques depending on the individual lot of coffee, including Coffee Maceration, Lactic and Acetic Natural processes, and Natural Hydro Honey. Harvest and post-harvest procedures are highly standardized for consistency and quality. First, the sugar content of the coffee cherries is measured in degrees Brix, followed by density and volumetric separation. Finally, the decision is made on which processing method is best suited to bring each lot to its fullest potential. The processing methods used by Elkin embody his pioneering spirit, combining different approaches to fermentation and drying techniques to complement each coffee’s inherent characteristics. In the case of this lot of Catiope coffee, the team at El Mirador chose a special processing method that they call Strawberry Natural. Catiope is a variety that Elkin came across during a visit to an experimental station operated by Cenicafé in Timbio, Cauca, Colombia. They told him that the cultivar was a result of crossing Caturra with Lineas Etiopes, hence the name. After planting it on his farm Elkin fell in love with the variety for its production and cup quality. Pink Champagne Washed processing begins with harvesting coffee cherries that have measured above 20 degrees Brix. The cherries are sorted via floatation before being hand sorted to remove inconsistencies. They're then depulped and macerated with a culture made from fermenting fruit and spices. The pulped coffee and culture are fermented for over 100 hours, while having pH and Brix regularly checked. The coffee is then dried for at least 25 days before being milled and prepped for export!