Rodrigo Sanchez El Eden - Tamarind Washed Purple Caturra Bourbon - Colombia

Whole Bean
Size: 8oz / 227g
Roast: Light
Recommended Rest: 2-3 weeks from roast date
Tasting Notes: baklava, lychee, rose water

Origin Details

Region: Huila Colombia
Elevation: 1500m
Producer: Rodrigo Sanchez, El Eden
Process: Tamarind + Red Fruit Co-ferment Washed
Variety: Purple Caturra, Bourbon

ABOUT THIS COFFEE AND PRODUCER

From Ally Coffee:

Under the care of Rodrigo Sánchez and his family, El Edén has grown into a project that combines tradition with technical expertise. Every decision on the farm, from soil nutrition and variety selection to precise harvesting and meticulous processing, follows a thoughtful plan designed to ensure both consistency and quality. The farm has become a space where science and passion work together to reveal the best in every variety.

This commitment to excellence has earned international recognition. Among its most notable achievements are 1st place in the Yara Champion 2017 with Pink Bourbon, 2nd place in 2018 with the same variety, and 1st and 3rd place in Roasters United 2019 with Purple Caturra. Each award confirms the vision of the Sánchez family: transforming exceptional natural conditions into coffees that captivate roasters and consumers around the world.

The Tamarind Co-Fermented Washed process begins with creating its unique fermentation culture. First, a mother culture containing microorganisms like lactobacillus and saccharomyces cerevisiae is derived from Rodrigo’s Purple Caturra coffee cherries. Eighty liters of this culture are then set aside and fed with sugar, molasses, red fruit juices, and a touch of liquor. The fruit mixture contributes flavor to the culture, while the sweetener energizes the fermentation and brings the culture’s sugar content to a level that matches the degrees Brix of the coffee that will be processed. This initial fermentation of the mother culture and fruits (with tamarind being a key component) takes 190 hours to reach the appropriate degrees Brix and pH value for coffee processing.

Before being processed with the fruit-fermented culture, coffee cherries are measured for sugar content as soon as they reach the mill at Pitalito. Cherries are then floated to remove impurities before being deposited into a 200-liter sealed tank. The 80-liter culture that was previously fermented with the fruits is added to the sealed tank, and the coffee is fermented for 150 hours. During this process, the team continuously monitors measurements to ensure the environment doesn't drop below 6 degrees Brix or a pH of 4. The coffee is then moved to the drying area, where it is dried for 2–3 days in direct sunlight and then for 15–18 days under shaded canopies until it reaches 10–11% humidity.

WHY WE SELECTED THIS COFFEE

This is our first time sourcing from Finca El Edén, and we couldn’t have picked a more intriguing introduction. The lot comes from a planting of Purple Caturra, a varietal already known for its unusual color and soft tropical character.

For this release, the producers took things a step further with a tamarind-boosted fermentation — a wild twist that brings out layers we’ve never quite tasted before. The cup opens with buttery pastry sweetness and a pistachio richness that instantly reminds us of baklava, then unfolds into rose water florals and a vivid lychee-like tropical fruit note.

It’s not an everyday drinking coffee, but one that leaves a strong impression — complex, lush, and deeply expressive. As a milk drink, it leans into that pastry creaminess; as an iced pourover, the tropical and floral elements are refreshingly cohesive.

A memorable first connection with Finca El Edén — and a reminder of just how far coffee fermentation can be pushed in fun ways.