La Secreta - Banana Caturra - Colombia

ABOUT THIS COFFEE AND PRODUCER

Although processed with bananas, this coffee has berry attributes that are boosted by the bananas. While some fruits inject their flavor into coffees, this coffee showcases that coferments do not have to share the taste of the fruit that it is processed with, and that the taste is a product of the microbiome that is introduced. First, a banana must - a slurry of pressed, whole fruit - is prepared and fermented. Then, the cherries with the highest degree of ripeness are selected using a combination of manual and density-based processes. The cherries are then allowed to oxidize before being pulped. They are placed in tanks, and the previously prepared must is added. Anaerobic fermentation is carried out in a controlled environment. This fermentation lasts 120 hours, and then, depending on the climate, the coffee is dried for approximately 6 to 10 days.

From our importer CafeLumbus:

In 2019, Santiago Vasquez transformed the long-standing coffee producer, Finca Las Secreta, into a specialty coffee farm named "La Secreta." Managed by Diego and his wife Milena, the 30-hectare farm, with 130,000 coffee trees, prioritizes 25 hectares for coffee cultivation.

The presence of a 5-hectare natural reserve within the farm adds to its allure. This reserve not only showcases the farm's beauty but also provides a habitat for various animal and plant species. The protection of wood for water resources and its role in supplying water to the Vereda Ventorrillo, where the farm is located, highlights the farm's environmental significance. 

WHY WE SELECTED THIS COFFEE

There are many coferments out in the world with heavy infusions of flavor that often become very “single noted” and one dimensional in mirroring the fruit it was cofermented with. This has lead to many coffee enjoyers to write off coferments as lower quality coffee “covered up” with a fruit that transfers lots of artificial like flavors. While those exist, we have been on the search for coferments used instead to stabilize fermentation and add diverse microbiomes and fuel to increase complexity on an already high quality coffee. This coffee from La Secreta peaked our interest for being one of these exceptions!

While we were expecting a strong banana flavor from the banana must cofermentation, this coffee surprised us by exhibiting a flavor mix of red berries and tropical fruits. Much like the meaning of the name of the farm it comes from, the banana is much more of a “secret” in this coferment than we expected! While it still carries candy like qualities that indicates a higher processed coffee, it maintains good balance and complexity. We hope you enjoy the brews from this surprising coffee as much as we do.