Edinson Argote - Advanced Chiroso

MEET THE PRODUCER | It almost feels reductive to call Edinson Argote a "passionate young coffee producer," given the amount of barriers he's overcome to earn that moniker. Orphaned at age three, Edinson was raised by his sister until he decided to leave home at age 11 (yes, you read that correctly). For seven years, Edinson found odd jobs to support himself until he could join the army when he turned 18. When he got out of the army at 20 years old, Edinson began working for his cousin at a local coffee buying station in Acevedo, Colombia. It was there that his interest was piqued and his passion for coffee fully realized.

In 2018, Edinson and his girlfriend, Luz Angela, took a loan from her father and used it to acquire La Quebradita, a picturesque coffee farm located on the slopes of the Central Mountain Range, in Timaná. Today, La Quebradita is a hub for coffee processing and farmland innovation, experimenting with everything from yeast inoculation to soil care. Edinson has made it his life's work to produce specialty coffee using unique and replicable sensory profiles, and this latest Chiroso lot is a testament to his success in that endeavor.

TRUST THE PROCESS | After being picked at peak ripeness, whole coffee cherries undergo standard natural fermentation for 72 hours before being spread out on raised beds for partial drying. After 12 days (or until the cherries reach 20% humidity), they are rehydrated for four days and introduced to a proprietary beer & wine yeast. The new friends are then given plenty of time to mingle and ferment in stainless steel tanks before the coffee is finally returned to the raised beds for complete drying, until optimal moisture content (10–12%) is achieved.

TAKE A SIP | Think of the fruitiest candy you’ve ever tasted or the most intense smoothie you’ve ever sipped. This coffee puts them both to shame. Described by one of our roasters as “beyond fruity,” it’s an explosive and intensely tropical ride past aisles of mango bubblegum and Juicy Fruit sticks, freezers full of cherry frozen ice pops, and produce bins filled to the brim with pineapple, mango, and other tropical fruits. All that fruit-fueled intensity leaves room for a little funk, reminding us of natural wine and sangria.

Origin | Timaná, Huila, Colombia

Producer | Edinson Argote

Farm | La Quebraditas

Process | Advanced Natural

Variety | Chiroso

Elevation | 1850 MASL

Produced by Edinson Argote in the Timaná region of Huila, Colombia, this lot showcases the unique potential of the Chiroso varietal. Processed via an Advanced Natural method, the coffee highlights the complex, fruit-forward profiles often associated with meticulous fermentation techniques. While natural-processed coffees frequently exhibit heavier fruit characteristics and wine-like acidity, this specific selection from Black & White Coffee Roasters leans into vibrant, tropical notes reminiscent of mango, pineapple, and cherry.

When evaluating such expressive profiles, tasters often find it helpful to reference a flavor wheel to categorize the interplay between the intense sweetness of the fruit notes and the deeper, fermented qualities of the cup. By combining the distinct genetic traits of the Chiroso varietal with precise post-harvest handling, Argote has created a coffee that bridges the gap between traditional regional characteristics and the experimental frontiers of modern processing.