After two years, coffee from our favourite farmer, one could say coffee celebrity – Diego Samuel Bermudez – is back on the offer again.
Farm / Processing Station:
Diego Samuel, born in Bolivar in the province of Cauca, has dedicated the last 15 years of his life to the cultivation of coffee, as well as to the acquisition of a deep knowledge and understanding of the processing and production of top quality specialty coffee that is almost unrivalled in terms of its unique flavour and profiles. Diego and his family work on their farm in Cauca. Together they share in the effort to continually learn and strive to reach the next level of processing. They have built their own lab on the farm to first understand cupping and roasting, and then to start developing their own fermentation protocols and begin experimenting with them. These experiments and his enthusiastic approach to coffee have allowed him to rise in popularity and win several awards since 2015. As well as being a skilled cupper, Diego has also achieved a qualification in the CQI Level 2 processing course, which has given him the foundation to understand how cup profiles can be controlled depending on microorganisms, ph and temperature.
The Villa Esperanza – Paraiso farm in El Tambo, Cauca, covers 27 hectares and is planted with Castillo, Colombia, Caturra, Pink Bourbon and Geisha varieties. The farm focuses on the technology and critical processes that and complex in the production of coffee of this brand. From selection to careful drying, which is done to mitigate the variable climatic conditions that allow them to reproduce coffees of such high quality. All of these selected batches come from the Castillo or Caturra variety, which again debunks the myths that still question the quality of these varieties. The important thing is to process the raw material in such depth as to bring out its potential.
Variety:
Castillo is the most common coffee variety grown in Colombia. It is a hybrid of the Caturra and Timor Hybrid varieties and was bred by the National Coffee Research Centre (Cenicafé) for its resistance to leaf rust. It was released into production in 2005 and named after the researcher Jamie Castillo. It is a “dwarf” tree that can be planted at high densities, resulting in high yields. However, some specialty coffee experts consider it inferior to other varieties because it shares a genetic heritage with robusta beans, as Timor is a natural hybrid of Arabica and Robusta. Castillo, which is popular for its compact structure and high yield, has gradually replaced Typica and Bourbon varieties in the country and has become the most cultivated coffee in Colombia.
Processing:
- Anaerobic fermentation of cherries for 28 hours in tanks with overflow valves at 19°C
- After fermentation, the pulp is removed
- Anaerobic fermentation with pulp for 40 hours at 21°C
- Thermal shock – First the beans are rinsed with water at 40°C and then with water at 12°C
- Controlled drying for 28 hours at 42°C and 25% humidity until a grain moisture content of between 10% – 11% is achieved
Our baristas notes:
The fermentation has affected the coffee in the best possible way. The filter from this coffee is beautifully aromatic, playful, light and yet full of fruity flavours. Notes of red sweet fruits like strawberry and raspberry dominate and the coffee has an almost candy-like sweetness. On the tongue, notes similar to champagne and thick yellow melon emerge as it cools down. Overall, the coffee is very colourful in flavour and complex. The grind doesn’t surprise you, you need to grind the coffee more finely as we are used to with anaerobic coffees.
Recommended recipe on V60:
95 °C water
300ml water
20g coffee
360 micron grind (18 clicks per comandante)
0:00 40ml water
0:40 100 ml water
1:10 80ml water
1:50 80 ml water
Total time around 2:50.
