Zarza Coffee - Jhonatan Gasca - Yeast Natural Pink Bourbon - Colombia

Whole Bean
Roast: Light
Recommended Rest: 3-4 weeks from roast date
Tasting Notes: cherry cola, ruby grapefruit, strawberry yogurt

Origin Details

Region: Bruselas, Huila, Colombia
Elevation: 1750-1800m
Producer: Jhonatan Gasca
Process: Yeast Natural
Variety: Pink Bourbon

ABOUT THIS COFFEE AND PRODUCER

Zarza Coffee is a third-generation family project located in the mountains of Bruselas, Huila. Guided by family heritage and a commitment to quality, the Gasca family has built a coffee project grounded in traceability, sustainability, and respect for traditional practices.

The name Zarza, connected to the family surname Gasca, represents unity and continuity across generations. Through careful agronomic management and precise post-harvest practices, Zarza Coffee seeks to preserve the essence of Colombian coffee while adapting it to contemporary specialty standards.

This lot from Zarza Coffee starts with flotation sorting of fully ripe cherries followed by an oxidation stage to activate native microorganisms on the cherries and prepare them for additional inoculation. Next, the cherries are inoculated with selected yeast cultures and fermented anaerobically in sealed tanks. After the fermentation, a thermal shock temperature shift is applied. Finally the coffee is slowly dried for 20 to 30 days on raised beds.

WHY WE SELECTED THIS COFFEE

We're excited to bring in another fermentation-forward coffee from Zarza, this time a yeast natural Pink Bourbon. This lot combines the expressive red fruit character we often find in Pink Bourbon with a more involved fermentation process, including anaerobic fermentation, yeast inoculation, and a thermal shock step.

The result is a wild and very fruit-forward cup. The first sip brings a sparkling cherry cola character alongside ruby grapefruit, with a combination of sweetness and acidity that makes the profile particularly lively.

As the cup develops, the texture becomes more prominent, taking on a creamy quality reminiscent of strawberry yogurt. The fruit remains at the center while the body gives the coffee a softer, more rounded character through the finish.

For those who enjoy fermentation-forward coffees and have been following the Zarza coffees we've brought in, this is another fun expression of what the project can do.