Freak & Unique XI | Colombia | El Paraiso Villa Esperanza

EL TORITO SIPS JUICY MANGO AND ALPINE STRAWBERRY AS HE PARADES THROUGH BARRANQUILLA'S CARNIVAL IN A GIANT TEA CUP, THROWING RED SKITTLES TO THE CELEBRATING LOCALS BECAUSE 'THOSE WHO LIVE IT ARE THOSE WHO ENJOY IT' 

Our very limited series, Freak & Unique continues with this Thermal Shock Castillo from Colombia. This coffee is available with or without an unframed risograph print by Emma Gallacher (numbered edition of 10).

FARM : El Paraiso Villa Esperanza

REGION : Cauca, Tambo

ALTITUDE : 1870 MASL

VARIETAL : Castillo

PROCESS : Thermal Shock

 

Yenny Esperanza Bermudez is a founding partner of Finca El Paraíso Villa Esperanza. Born in Bolívar Cauca, she trained in law and is the older sister of four brothers who all ventured on a new way of life, thanks to coffee.

Finca El Paraíso Villa Esperanza was acquired in 2009 with the purpose of generating a family business that involved the new generations. The plot has an extension of 27 hectares and is located in the municipality of Tambo, Corregimiento de las Piedras, El Marquez. The farm is 28 kilometres from the city of Popayan and 10 kilometres from the municipal seat of Tambo Cauca. Climate in this area is characterised as warm and temperate, with an average temperature of 18°C.

This incredible micro lot of coffee was harvested when 95% of the cherries were matured, and was washed with ozonated water and ultraviolet light. It was then anaerobically fermented in steel tanks for 48 hours at 18°C before being pulped and anaerobically fermented for a further 48 hours at 21°C. The coffee was then thermal shocked to eliminate any micro-organisms and finally machine dried by air circulation for 24-28 hours at 34°C.

• Please note due to the extremely limited availability of this coffee, we will be roasting once weekly. This may add a small delay to online orders. *

Produced by Yenny Esperanza Bermudez in the Tambo region of Cauca, Colombia, this lot represents a distinct approach to the Castillo varietal. Sourced by Hundred House Coffee, the coffee undergoes a thermal shock process, a technique that manipulates temperature to influence the fermentation environment and final cup profile. While traditional processing methods often rely on ambient conditions, thermal shock is part of a modern movement in Colombia · Cauca, Tambo aimed at intensifying specific sensory characteristics.

When exploring such experimental techniques, it is helpful to consult a processing methods explainer to understand how these controlled variables impact the bean. This specific lot is noted for its juicy mango and alpine strawberry qualities, which can be mapped against a standard flavor wheel to better identify the nuances of its profile. By pushing the boundaries of conventional post-harvest practices, this coffee highlights the evolving landscape of specialty production in the Cauca region.