Alirio is a third generation farmer who bought his farm, Finca El Recreo, when he was just 15 years old. Today he's been producing coffee for more than 30 years, and he's doing better than ever!

We've bought his coffee before and it was absolutely delicious. This lot is of the coffee variety caturron. The Caturron variety follows a trend in Colombia in recent years of coffee varieties being rediscovered growing wild. Caturron is a relatively new find from the Acevedo region, and it's not really found outside of that region. Its genetic lineage is currently unknown, but the variety is gaining recognition for its distinctive flavor and large cherry. Caturron is also resistant to coffee leaf rust and has relatively high yields, so it's pretty great for an industry currently struggling against climate change. 

After the cherries are picked, Alirio ferments them anaerobically in sealed plastic bags for 100 to 120 hours. Then, he removes the coffee and lays it on raised beds to dry with the cherry intact. The coffee is raked frequently to ensure even drying and it takes approximately 15 to 20 days for it to dry down to a point where the husk can be removed.

The variety together with the fermentation makes this a flavour bomb of a coffee.

As espresso it's vibrant, juicy and candy-like.

Cherry cola, fruity chocolate, dark syrup