Doctor’s Orders – Jairo Arcila Co-Ferment

Description

Doctor’s Orders: a velvety, comforting, dessert-like co-ferment of acerola cherry, cola and a tingle of Sichuan pepper.

Varietal: Castillo
Type: 100% Arabica
Score: 88.5
Producer: Jairo Arcila, Santa Mónica
Elevation: 1450 – 1500 m.a.s.l
Process: Co-Ferment, Honey (72 hour anaerobic fermentation)
Region: Armenia, Quindío
Country: Colombia
Tasting Notes: Acerola Cherry, Cola, Pomegranate, Sichuan Pepper

Grown by Jairo Arcila on his Santa Mónica farm near Armenia in Quindío, Colombia, this experimental co-ferment is all about flavour, and it’s one of our favourites yet.

The coffee is grown at 1,450 to 1,500 metres above sea level in volcanic ash soils, with temperatures of 18 to 28°C and 1,800 to 2,000mm of annual rainfall. The variety is Castillo, developed by Cenicafé and released in 2005 from a cross between Timor Hybrid and Caturra. It was bred for disease resistance and productivity without giving up the balanced, fruit-forward cup Colombia is known for.

Only the ripest cherries were harvested for this lot. At the La Pradera processing centre they are floated to remove any low-density cherries, then co-fermented in a dry anaerobic environment for 72 hours with the pulp on. The cherries are then pulped, leaving the sticky mucilage intact, and dried for 11 days on concrete patios, turned regularly until they reach a moisture content of 9.5 to 11%. The water used at La Pradera is recycled and filtered through vetiver grass beds, so no contaminated water is discharged.

In the cup, expect acerola cherry, cola, pomegranate and Sichuan pepper. At the cupping table the aromas were velvety, comforting and dessert-like, and the cup follows with the dark, spiced fizz of Dr Pepper: sweet cherry and cola up front, a tart pomegranate edge, and a tingle of pepper on the finish.
A cosy, vibrant co-ferment that tastes like nothing else on the shelf.

We recommend brewing with: Filter, Plunger, AeroPress