Rodrigo Sanchez - Passion Fruit

MEET THE PRODUCER | Rodrigo Sanchez Valencia is a third generation coffee farmer, but his father and grandfather before him never considered the coffee they grew in terms of its cup profile. That is to say, they didn't really know that their farming and processing techniques could have a huge impact on the flavor and quality of the coffees they were producing. That changed in 2002, when Rodrigo participated in a local program that sought to communicate cupping, coffee competitions, and lot-scoring to children of coffee producers. With this newfound understanding and a profound desire to produce high-quality coffee consistently, Rodrigo and his family set off on a mission to re-imagine the work they'd been doing at Finca Monteblanco, and the coffees coming from that farm today are a testament to their rigorous persistence in that endeavor.

TRUST THE PROCESS | Get ready to geek out with us—this passionfruit co-fermented Purple Caturra lot would hold its own at any science fair of our youth. First, the passionfruit infusion process begins with 190 hours of fermentation—not of the coffee cherries, but of the mother culture created on Rodrigo's farm, using micro-organisms derived from his own coffee trees. During those 190 hours, 80 liters of this culture is fed a mixture of orange juice, mangoes, and a sweetener, like molasses. The fruit ingredients contribute flavor while the sweetener increases the sugar content of the culture and fuels the fermentation process.

Upon reaching the wet mill at the top of the farm, the coffee cherries picked for this unique process are measured for sugar content and then floated to remove lower density beans. The cherries are pulped before being placed in a 200-liter sealed tank, where they get to mingle with that mango-fueled mother culture for 180 hours. Once the party is over, the cherries are removed to dry in direct sunlight for the first 2–3 days, finishing that drying process under shaded canopies for an additional 15–18 days, or until 10–11% humidity is achieved.

TAKE A SIP | Sometimes, co-fermented coffees like this one can come off a little intense and one-dimensional. We still love them, and we often incorporate them in really special blend projects like The Future series and the New School. However, this is not at all the case with Rodrigo's carefully constructed passion(fruit) project. Because the fermentation process is reliant on the yeast that ate the fruit rather than the fruit itself, the end result is cleaner and more subtle than we would typically expect from a co-fermented lot. In the cup, this coffee is vibrant, tropical, and smooth, reminding us of passionfruit candy and mango lassi. Cooked fruit, like strawberry jam, lingers throughout. The whole experience is oddly reminiscent of sipping a fruity milk tea—albeit without those strange little tapioca pearls.

Origin | La Tacora, San Adolfo, Huila, Colombia

Producer | Rodrigo Sanchez

Farm | Finca Monteblanco

Process | Co-ferment

Variety | Purple Caturra

Elevation | 1730 MASL

This offering from Black & White Coffee Roasters showcases a unique expression of the Purple Caturra varietal, cultivated by producer Rodrigo Sanchez in the La Tacora region of San Adolfo, Huila, Colombia. Grown at an elevation of 1730 masl, this lot utilizes a co-ferment processing method to achieve its distinct profile. While traditional washed coffees often highlight terroir-driven acidity, co-fermented lots are frequently explored by producers to push the boundaries of sensory intensity, often resulting in vibrant, fruit-forward characteristics that can be mapped across the flavor wheel.

The resulting cup presents a profile defined by notes of passionfruit candy, mango lassi, and strawberry jam. By pairing the specific genetic traits of the Purple Caturra plant with controlled fermentation techniques, this coffee highlights the evolving landscape of modern processing in Huila. It serves as a compelling example of how intentional post-harvest intervention can amplify the inherent sweetness and complexity of high-quality cherries.