Colombia - Rigoberto Sanchez
Notes of jasmine candy, lime soda and rose complemented by a juicy acidity and silky body.
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Technical Information
Producer: Rigoberto Sanchez
Region: Palestina, Huila, Colombia
Harvest: Spring 2025
Varietal(s): Colombia Rosado (pink bourbon)
Process: Over-ripe picking, 24 hour in-husk resting, 48 hour dry-mass fermentation, washing, 15 days drying in greenhouse.
Altitude: 1650 masl
Exporter: La Real Expedición Botánica
Importer: Bold Bean
Agrton Gourmet Color: 110 (light)
Roasters Cupping Score: 87.5
Coffee Story
Like many of our favorite Colombian coffee producers, Rigoberto is producing coffee near the town of Palestina in southern Huila. This specific lot is a blend of Caturra and Colombia varietals. Rigoberto harvests the coffee when it is overripe. This ensures the sugars are highly concentrated in the cherries and greatly benefits hybridized varietals such as variedad Colombia. After harvesting, the coffee is rested in-husk for about 12 hours. After the in-husk resting the coffee is depulped and then allowed to ferment for 48 hours of dry-mass open fermentation. Once all of the mucilage is broken down and the fermentation is complete the coffee is dried in a greenhouse for 15 days.
There are a number of styles of fermentation that a producer can use when processing coffee. Dry mass fermentation refers to the process of depulping the coffee into a fermentation tank and allowing it to ferment in a pile in an open air environment. Producers can also do a wet fermentation where the fermentation tank is filled with water and the coffee ferments under the water. There is also anaerobic fermentation where the coffee ferments in a sealed container without exposure to oxygen. In addition to these styles there are countless experimental and constantly evolving fermentation styles used in coffee production. The style and length of fermentation greatly impacts the flavor of coffee. Longer fermentations tend to increase complexity and acidity while shorter fermentations result in more traditional and simple flavors in the cup.
No matter the style of fermentation, the coffee has to be closely monitored during this stage to ensure the yeast is not too active in consuming the sugars. Shortly after all of the sugars are consumed the yeast will die. If the coffee is left in contact with spent sugars and dead yeasts for too long, the fermenting mass will start to rot and the coffee will take on off-flavors.
Despite the long fermentation times on this lot of Rigoberto's, the coffee is very clean, delicate and nuanced. We are finding a lively acidity a rich body and notes of spiced honey and tangerine.
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Varietal
Colombia Rosado is an Ethiopian Landrace varietal hybridized with the Colombia varietal. Oftentimes misnomered as Pink Bourbon. The varietal is grown widely in Huila due to its potential for a high-quality cup profile. Varietal specific characteristics focus on a medium body, medium to high acidity and notes of stone fruit, currant, citrus and other tropical fruits oftentimes accompanied by floral notes.
Process
For this lot, the coffee was harvested overripe. This concentrates the brix of sugar in the cherries which provides more fuel, so to say, for fermentation. After harvesting, Rigoberto rests the cherries in sacks for 24 hours before depulping. This further concentrates the sugars and increases acids within the cherries. This contributes to more sweetness and complexity in the cup.
Following resting, the coffee is depulped and dry-mass fermented for 48 hours. Rigoberto's coffee benefits from long fermentation without over fermenting due to the higher sugar content in the fermenting mass. This long fermentation amplifies the complexity, acidity and sweetness.
After fermentation, the coffee is washed and slowly dried on raised beds for 15 days.
It's easy for the process to take center stage when pushing long fermentation times but the process Rigoberto uses results in a supremely clean and clear flavor profile which highlights the varietal and terroir.
Terroir
Huila is a mountainous region in southern Colombia with a longstanding tradition of and storied reputation for high-quality coffee production. Huila is the epicenter of high-quality coffee production in Colombia. All of the Huila coffees we buy are from farms in and around the small town of Palestina. The area has two harvests a year, a main crop from October to January and a small (fly-crop) from May to July. Most of the producers in the area are small-scale with farms between 1 and 3 hectares. The producers we work with in Palestina are focused on growing high percentages of pure arabica varietals and they use processing methods that highlight both the varietal and terroir. The combination of terroir, varietals grown and processing commonly used by the best producers in this micro-region result in coffees with high and complex acidity, full body and incredible sweetness.