Archival Release #39 - Adriana Gonzalez - Copa Suaceña 1st Place

For a number of years before our export partners at Osito began the ‘Copa de Oro’ regional cupping competition in Huila, Colombia, there was a smaller, lesser-known cupping competition called ‘Copa Suaceña.’ Each annual edition of the "Suaza Cup" pursued the goal of identifying and recognizing the highest quality coffees produced by the Divino Niño producer group: a community of farmers that has been one of Passenger's Foundational Partners since 2018.

As we anticipate the release of our most recent Copa de Oro selections, we thought it was the perfect time to reach back into the archive to feature this special coffee: the first-place overall winning coffee of the 2020 Copa Suaceña competition from producer Adriana Gonzalez. For those of you who have been fans of Passenger’s annual competition-winning coffees from Colombia, the name Adriana Gonzalez will likely be familiar. While the expanded Copa de Oro competition of recent years has crowded the field with extremely talented producers like Adriana, we here at Passenger have fond memories of the first time we tasted her coffee and the many outstanding coffees she would come to release in the years following. 

After nearly four years in deep-freeze preservation, we’re thrilled to find the hallmarks of Adriana’s competition-winning pink bourbon variety selection still vibrantly present in the cup after roasting: jammy, cooked berries and juicy lime-like acidity, with densely sweet browning sugar and spice notes in the finish.

Archival Release #39 represents a significant milestone from producer Adriana Gonzalez, whose Pink Bourbon harvest secured 1st place in the Copa Suaceña competition. Sourced from the renowned Huila region of Colombia, this lot showcases the distinct potential of the Pink Bourbon varietal. While Pink Bourbon is often celebrated for its complex balance and sweetness, the specific profile of this release highlights a vibrant interplay of jammy, cooked berry notes underscored by a juicy, lime-like acidity and a grounding finish of browning sugar and spice.

As curated by Passenger Coffee, this selection invites a deeper exploration of how regional terroir and meticulous processing influence the final cup. For those looking to better articulate these specific characteristics, referencing a flavor wheel can be a helpful tool in identifying the nuanced transitions between the fruit-forward acidity and the deeper, caramelized sugar tones present in this exceptional competition-winning coffee.