TONGUE OF THE SERPENT, Colombia

Peach Nectar, Guava, Mango

Granja Paraíso 92 sits in Piendamó, in the Cauca region of Colombia. The farm is held by Wilton Benitez, a producer who treats post-harvest as a controlled discipline rather than an inherited habit. Volcanic soil, cool mountain air and clean spring water define the site. What separates the lots is the work done after the cherry leaves the tree.

Benitez came to coffee as a picker, became the man who repaired the machinery, and went on to design the equipment his farm now runs on, including his own dryers. The farm operates a processing plant, a microbiology laboratory and a quality laboratory. Nothing happens there by chance.

Cherries are handpicked at full ripeness and sealed into anaerobic fermentation. The fruit then passes through thermal shock, cycling between hot and cold water to arrest fermentation at a fixed point and hold the aromatic compounds in place. From there the whole cherry is dried slowly on raised beds to 10 - 12% moisture. Nothing is pulped. Skin and mucilage stay on the seed for the full drying period, and that is where the weight of this lot comes from.

Tabi is a Colombian selection drawn from Typica, Bourbon and Timor Hybrid stock, developed for resilience without surrendering cup structure. At 1,930 metres the cherry matures slowly and the seed builds density and sweetness. Altitude does the work that no process can replace.