El Vergel Bourbon Passiflora, Colombia | 150gm

This coffee comes from Marlon Rojas, a third-generation coffee producer from Huila, Colombia. His family has been involved in coffee for generations, and after spending several years working as a commercial pilot, Marlon returned to Colombia to develop the potential of his family’s farm. Today, he works alongside his uncles at La Reserva, producing specialty coffees with a focus on varietal selection and experimental processing. The farm is located across the municipalities of Palestina and Pitalito in Huila.

Situated between 1650 and 1750 masl, La Reserva benefits from the cool mountain climate of Huila. The combination of high elevation and significant temperature differences between day and night slows the maturation of the coffee cherries, allowing sugars, acids, and aromatic compounds to develop gradually. These conditions provide a strong foundation for the fruit intensity and sweetness found in Marlon's specialty lots.

This lot is composed of the Bourbon varietal, one of the traditional Arabica varieties of Central America and Colombia. Bourbon is known for its sweetness, delicate acidity, and ability to express complex fruit and floral characteristics when cultivated at higher elevations. At La Reserva, Marlon grows Bourbon alongside other specialty varieties including Geisha, Pacamara, and Sidra.

The coffee is processed using a semi-washed passionfruit co-fermentation. Ripe cherries are carefully handpicked and sorted before undergoing a 24-hour whole-cherry pre-fermentation. The cherries are then depulped while retaining some of their mucilage before being placed into sealed tanks for a 48-hour anaerobic fermentation with fresh passionfruit. This co-fermentation introduces additional tropical fruit compounds while allowing the coffee's natural sweetness and varietal character to develop alongside them. The coffee is subsequently dried slowly on raised beds for approximately 15 days before undergoing a further stabilisation period.

In the cup, this coffee presents vibrant passionfruit character with a rounded honey-like sweetness. The semi-washed process gives it more structure and clarity than a fully natural coffee, while the passionfruit co-fermentation adds a distinct tropical fruit layer without completely overshadowing the underlying Bourbon character.