Colombia Pink Bourbon Party Pack

Each box includes two (2) 8 oz whole bean coffee bags

Roasting and shipping schedule* (Order by 8 AM EST for same-day shipping): 

Monday December 8

Thursday December 11

Monday December 15

Thursday December 18 (last shipping date before Christmas)

*Each coffee in the pack is also available for individual purchase on the same schedule

Contents:

Colombia Ticuna Pink Bourbon (8 oz)

Origin: Colombia

Region: Huila

Locality: Garzón

Farm names: El Esquilino and El Diviso

Producers: Café Ticuna (José Jadir Losada & Kyle Bellinger)

Altitude: 1800 - 2000 meters

Process: Washed lacto-fermentation

Variety: Pink Bourbon

Tasting notes: Honey, blackberry, plum

Colombia José Martinez Pink Bourbon (8 oz)

Origin: Colombia

Region: Huila

Locality: Palestina

Farm Name: El Casino

Producer: José Elcias Martinez Guzman

Altitude: 1700 - 1800 meters

Process: Washed

Variety: Pink Bourbon

Tasting notes: Floral, persimmon, lime

This year’s holiday Party Pack includes two outstanding examples of the coveted Pink Bourbon variety, produced by José Martinez and Café Ticuna. Pink Bourbon has become almost synonymous with excellent Colombian coffee. While it first appeared on the scene in Huila, Colombia, genetic testing has identified it as an Ethiopian landrace. How it first came to be cultivated there is still unknown. It is prized for its unique profile, reminiscent of coffees from Ethiopia due to its fruit-forward, dynamic, and sometimes floral character.

José Martinez grew up on a coffee farm owned by his parents, and he learned everything about the trade from them. In his young adulthood he set out on his own, leaving the farm to work as a bus driver, traveling all over Colombia. Over a decade later he felt the pull to return to his roots and purchased his parents' farm, continuing and building upon the business and agronomic knowledge that had been passed down. José's curiosity never ceases, as each harvest he works to improve his processing techniques and quality standards, and carefully experiments with new varieties to achieve a better and better cup. His dedication has paid off, as José has made a name for himself through perennial success in local competitions and the consistent delivery of exceptional quality.

Café Ticuna is a collective of three farms in Huila, Colombia owned by José Jadir Losada and Kyle Bellinger. José and Kyle also own Osito Coffee, one of our primary partners for sourcing green coffee from several origins. At Café Ticuna, they focus much of their energy on developing innovative processing techniques with the potential to raise the quality of, and therefore add value to, Colombian coffee. One such process is a tightly controlled lacto-fermentation, which can be combined with any of the traditional washed, honey, or dry processes. This particular lot is a lacto-fermented washed coffee. First the coffee cherries are floated in water to remove any lower density fruits, which rise to the top to be skimmed off. The remaining cherries are then fermented in a 2% salt solution for 30 hours. The solution inhibits the growth of microorganisms except for the bacteria that metabolize sugars into lactic acid. The fruit is then de-pulped and the seeds are fermented in a fresh batch of the same solution for another 30 hours, after which they are washed with fresh water and dried on covered, raised beds. The goal of lacto-fermentation is to elevate a coffee’s sweetness and complexity. José and Kyle showed us how this process works a couple of years ago during a visit to their farm El Mirador, and the depth of their knowledge and attention to detail was stunning. Not surprisingly, so are the results in the cup.

Transparency

This is our first year buying from Café Ticuna, though our sourcing relationship with José and Kyle began when they founded Osito Coffee in 2018. We scored this lot 88 points and purchased 1 70kg bag for $19.35/lb FOT.

This is our fifth year buying from José Martinez. We scored this lot 87.5 points and purchased 1 70kg bag for $9.75/lb FOT.