Naranjas Nadando

Co-fermentation with oranges yields a silky cup with aromas of caramel, mandarin, and honeysuckle. Look for flavors of marmalade, toffee, and marzipan when sipping. Grilled lemon acidity brings balance to its graham cracker sweetness. The finish is rounded out with notes of chocolate, hazelnut, and a hint of rosemary.

Our roast of last year's harvest received 95 Points from Coffee Review!

Details

Producer: Jenner Villatoro Farm: Finca Villaure Region: Huehuetenango Altitude: 1,700-1,800 masl Varietal: Bourbon Process: Washed, Orange Co-Ferment Roast: Light-Medium Notes: Toffee, Marmalade, Raw Hazelnut

The Story

Imported by our friends at Onyx Coffee.

"Jenner is one of five third-generation Villatoros being groomed to oversee the family's network of small farms. Being the oldest brother of three siblings, Jenner is confident, and a curious leader, implementing his father's high standards on the farm as director of Quality Control with a grace that shows his potential.

"He and his brother Rodyn manage the naturals and anaerobics. You'll often find Jenner in the family cupping lab, or monitoring cherry on the new raised African drying beds. Jenner's small lot is next to his Cup of Excellence award-winning uncle Pedro's lots, and is called Las Cuevitas for the rock outcroppings and small caves punctuating the steep mountainside."

Processing Notes

Naranjas Nadando translates to "Swimming with Oranges." Why? After picking, whole cherries are soaked for 40 hours with organic orange juice and orange peel. The cherries are depulped without using water, then fermented for another 36 hours in GrainPro bags with organic orange juice and orange peel. Finally they are thoroughly washed and dried for 14 days on raised beds in a greenhouse.

Rather than making the coffee taste like oranges, the added natural sugar and yeast fuel and alter the fermentation process. We were impressed by the delicacy and complexity of the brewed cup, with floral hints of honeysuckle and rosemary accompanying citric and caramelized sugar base notes.

Produced by Jenner Villatoro in the high-altitude terrain of Guatemala · Huehuetenango, Naranjas Nadando represents a unique intersection of traditional cultivation and modern innovation. This lot features the Bourbon varietal, a plant historically celebrated for its balanced sweetness and complex acidity. While washed coffees are typically prized for their clean, transparent profiles, this specific release from PT's Coffee Roasting utilizes an orange co-ferment technique. This experimental approach to processing methods aims to integrate distinct aromatic compounds into the bean during fermentation.

When evaluating such experimental lots, tasters often look for how the processing influences the inherent characteristics of the varietal. The resulting cup profile—highlighted by notes of toffee, marmalade, and raw hazelnut—invites a deeper exploration of the flavor wheel. By combining the classic structure of Bourbon with the nuanced impact of co-fermentation, this coffee offers a compelling look at how producers are currently pushing the boundaries of traditional washed processing.