Our latest Hello set shines a light on four of our freshest Colombian coffees and the wide range of flavors they offer. This page also offers additional photos and guidance for enjoying your own coffee set at home!
[UPDATE: July 20,2023] – This set has sold out. It was fun while it lasted. Click here to check out our other Green Coffee
Green coffee refers to the processed seed of the coffee tree fruit. Coffee is a flowering shrub that produces fruit. The seeds of the fruit are processed, roasted,... Sets.
A limited edition sample set with a single originSingle Origin refers to coffee from one location, in contrast to blended coffee. This term is particularly useful in discussing espresso, since most commercial espressos are made from... theme… for our Hello: Colombia Origin Set, we selected four coffees from our latest container arrival that showcase the broad range of flavors found from this single originIn coffee talk, it refers to a coffee-producing region or country; such as, "I was just at origin." Of course "Origin" for most product we use is not.... Cultivars are also a theme in this set, as two of the coffees are a unique varietal that was recently re-discovered in ColombiaColombian coffee is highly marketed and widely available in the US. They have been largely successful at equating the name Colombian Coffee with "Good" Coffee. This is half-true...., called “Chiroso”.
Just as the “Hello My Name Is:” stickers save you from guessing someone’s name, our “Hello…” sample sets take out some of the guesswork of replicating our roasting results by providing you with comprehensive information and visual aids to help guide your roasts. Each set is attractively packaged with information about the specific roasts for this particular grouping, including overall roast times, moisture loss, associated flavor notes and scores. We’ve also included roast photos of each coffee for you to match up to, and a color reference chart that can be used beyond this set.
A Small-holder Coffee Farming Culture
Colombia is the third largest exporter of coffee globally, and of the half-million Colombian coffee farmers, more than 90% own less than 10 hectaresWe use this metric term often to discuss the size of coffee farms. 1 Hectare = 10000 Square Meters = 2.471 acres: We use this metric term often... of land. That’s an eye-opening number on its own. But when you consider that 90%+ produced more than 11 million bags of coffee last year, it’s nothing short of staggering.
The implications that come with buying in a system like this are many. For one, it requires a lot more work to manage all those small coffee lots for everyone in the supply chain. Farmers come up with ways to more efficiently process very small lots of coffees (like mixing harvest days, for example). Coops and Associations put an incredible amount of work into keeping individual lots separate until quality can be determined. And for us, it means cupping
Cupping is a method of tasting coffee by steeping grounds in separate cups for discrete amounts of ground coffee, to reveal good flavors and defects to their fullest.... A LOT of samples in order to fill the three+ 42,000 pound shipping containers we buy each year.
Either a flavor in the coffee, or referring to the fruit of the coffee tree, which somewhat resembles a red cherry.: Either a flavor in the coffee, or... from the coffee seeds inside at a farm in Inzá, Cauca.How does this affect the coffee? Well, it’s not always obvious. But the fact that each farmer is responsible for processingThe removal of the cherry and parchment from the coffee seed.: Coffee is either wet-processed (also called washed or wet-milled) or dry-processed (also called wild, natural or natural... their coffee down to dried green seeds, leaves a lot of room for variation. It’s not unusual to cup 50 samples of coffee from farmers in the same area, growing the same cultivars, and have them taste quite different. Things like fermentation
Fermentation in coffee processing traditionally referred to the stage in wet-processing of the coffee. We now understand that fermentation happens more broadly in nearly all processes, including honey... times, and airflow in drying rooms can have a big impact on flavor, and is a big reason why we put the work into constructing our own lots from individual process batches, rather than have an intermediary do some of that work for us.
The Chiroso Coffee Varietal Has Ethiopian Roots
Two of the coffees in this set are billed as “heirloom”, which as it turns out, is a bit of a misnomer. These coffees – Los Naranjos Heirloom CaturraCatimor is a broad group of cultivars derived from a Hibrido de Timor (HdT) and Caturra cross, highly productive, sometimes with inferior cup flavor. The main issue is..., and Edward Sandoval Heirloom BourbonA coffee cultivar; a cross between Typica and Bourbon, originally grown in Brazil: Mundo Novo is a commercial coffee cultivar; a natural hybrid between "Sumatra" and Red Bourbon,... – came from the seeds of plants that were first found in the northern Antioquia town of Urrao. Initially thought to be regressions of Caturra
Caturra is an Arabica cultivar discovered as a natural mutant of Bourbon in Brazil in the first decade of the 20th century, but wasn't studied until 1937. It... and Bourbon (hence the names), the cultivarCultivar is a term used interchangeably with Varietal in the coffee trade to indicate plant material, although there are distinctions.: The naming of a cultivar should conform to... known locally as “Chiroso” was prized by farmers for its high yield, and little more.
This all changed in 2014, when Urrao coffee farmer Carmen Montoya took 1st place at the Cup of ExcellenceThe Cup of Excellence is a competition held yearly in many coffee-producing countries, designed to highlight the very best coffees from each origin.: The Cup of Excellence (COE)... competition (“COE”) with her Chiroso
"Chiroso" is the name given to a unique variety of coffee rediscovered in Colombia in the early 2000's, and is still mostly limited to the country. Originally thought... entry. The coffee scored a whopping 91.3, and was noted as having delicate top notes that were tea-likeA term used to describe coffees with light, tannic, slighly astringent mouthfeel and tea aromatics. We find it in some Rwandan flavor profiles, among others. and floral
Floral notes in coffee exemplify the connection between taste and smell. Describing the taste of a specific flower is near impossible...we always default to “it tastes like it.... Similar to the emergence of “Gesha” at the PanamaPanama coffee ranges from medium quality lower altitude farms to those at 1600 - 1800 meters centered in the area of Boquete in the Chirqui district near the... COE in the early 2000’s (more on that story here), the Specialty Coffee
Specialty coffee was a term devised to mean higher levels of green coffee quality than average "industrial coffee" or "commercial coffee". At this point, the term is of... spotlight was suddenly pointed at the small mountain town of Urrao, and this unique “new” coffee varietyA botanical variety is a rank in the taxonomic hierarchy below the rank of species and subspecies and above the rank of form (form / variety / subspecies....
Understandably, the demand for “Chiroso” grew, now for superior cup quality rather than simply plant productivity. The exporter we work with, Pergamino, have played a big role in disseminating this cultivar to other growing regions they work in, and we’re starting to see the literal fruits of that labor at some of the farms we buy coffee from. In the case of Los Naranjos Heirloom Caturra, that coffee is from the farm of Pedro Eschavarria, who happens to own Pergamino.
I should also point out that just because you grow Chiroso, doesn’t mean the coffee will be great. The same can be observed with Gesha
Gesha is a long-bean Ethiopia selection with unique cup character. Gesha is the name of the town in Western Ethiopia where the original samples were collected. Spelling it... (we just cupped a Gesha from Papua New GuineaPapua New Guinea (PNG) occupies the eastern half of the island it shares with the Indonesian province of Irian Jaya, part of Indonesia. The two primary areas for... that nice, but basic. Definitely didn’t qualify the high price, and I think the lack of floral characteristics would be disappointing for our customers). But these two lots are great examples of what all the fuss is about.
Chiroso was included as part of a recent scientific study that linked several cultivated coffees back to either EthiopiaEthiopia, formerly known as Abyssinia, or a coffee cultivar: Ethiopia, or more specifically the Empire under Haile Selassie, was known as Abyssinia. The name is Latin, derived from... or Yemeni accessions. Chiroso was shown to be “Ethiopia Only”, meaning it is not a regression, but rather seed from heirloom Ethiopian cultivars that somehow made their way to Colombia. Gesha, Java
There are several types of Abyssinia variety coffee, but they are not from Ethiopia but rather Indonesia. Abyssinia 3 = AB3. PJS Cramer, a Dutch plant researcher, introduced this variety..., and Mibirizi
A Bourbon cultivar variant from Rwanda and Burundi. Bourbon coffees are named for the island in the Indian Ocean were French colonists grew it. it is likely the... are also in this group.
Single-Origin Coffees, Multiple Cup Impressions
Sure all the coffees are from a single origin, but the flavors from each are quite unique. Veredas Vecinas and Vereda San Antonio are both from the Inzá region of Cauca, and were put together from several small lots we selected from farmers in those communities. Building custom blends allows us to group similar tasting coffees, as well as construct unique flavor profiles from several different tasting lots. In both cases, we’re able to build larger lots that offer a farther reach to our customers.
Veredas Vecinas (“VV”) is an example of our more balanced Colombian blends. This is a great coffee for dual-use (espressoA small coffee beverage, about 20 ml, prepared on an espresso machine where pressurized hot water extracted through compressed coffee.: In its most stripped-down, basic form, this is... and brewing), as well as offers roast versatility. Vereda San Antonio typically has more fruit than VV, and this lot certainly does not disappoint in that regard. Moderate complexity can be found in both coffees when kept to City roastCity roast is what we define as the earliest palatable stage that the roast process can be stopped and result in good quality coffee. City roast occurs roughly... level.
Los Naranjos and Edward Sandoval coffees are both unique varieties known locally as “Chiroso”. These coffees show delicate aromatics atop syrupy sweetnessSweetness is an important positive quality in fine coffees, and is one of five basic tastes: Sour, Sweet, Salty, Bitter, Savory (Umami). In coffee, sweetness is a highly.... Edward’s coffee is the more delicate of the two, showing tea-like qualities consistent with variety. Don Pedro’s coffee from Los Naranjos stands in contrast, with heavier-handed fruit notes that are syrupy and delicious!
About the roasts w/ photos
The coffees were roasted on a Quest M3s electric roaster, a compact table-top drum roasterA roaster with a rotating drum that provides agitation to the beans, while a heating element (typically either electric or gas) provides heat. The metal drum conducts heat... with two heating elements that heat a solid steel roasting drum (non-perforated). It’s a lot like our Probat P3 electric sample roaster in that it doesn’t require a whole lot of “profiling” in order to achieve a gentle roast curve in a reasonable amount of time.
The Chiroso coffee flavors are a little more tied to roast level than the other two. What I mean by this is that it’s important to stick to City roast level. Will you blow it if you accidentally run into City+City+ roast is an ideal roast level that occurs roughly between 425 and 435 degrees Fahrenheit in many coffee roasters with a responsive bean probe where First Crack...? No! But the aromatics these coffees are capable of producing are volatile, and you risk flattening them out with darker roasting.
I should also point out that the observed moisture loss in these roasts exceeded my expectations for the roast levels. I think part of this has to do with moisture levels being a little higher than some of the other coffee’s we’ve featured in previous Hello Sets, though they are still well within the range of what we consider stable (<12%).
Because roast level plays a major role in flavor, we’ve included detailed photos for guidance of the actual roasts that went into this set so that you can shoot to achieve similar flavor profiles as us. So please do refer to the included roast card in your kit!
Hello: Colombia Origin Set includes these coffees and short label descriptions (these are notes from our review notes, and specific cupping notes for the roasts we did for this set are included on the postcard that comes with it):
| Colombia Inzá Veredas Vecinas: | Impressive cup sweetness and bodyAssociated with and sensed by mouthfeel, body is sense of weight and thickness of the brew, caused by the percentage of soluble solids in the cup, including all..., molasses and brown sugar Brown sugar is a type of sweetness found in coffee ...a sweetness characterized by a hint of molasses, yet quite refined as well. Since Brown sugar of the... accents, pistachio torrone, pecan caramel Caramel is a desirable form of sweetness found in the flavor and aroma of coffee, and is an extension of roast taste. Extremely light or dark coffees will..., and tea-like tannicHaving the bitterness or astringency of Tannins. Tannins are plant polyphenols found across the flora kingdom. The term Tannins refers to the use of wood tannins from oak... acidity Acidity is a positive flavor attribute in coffee, also referred to as brightness or liveliness. It adds a brilliance to the cup, whereas low acid coffees can seem.... Dark roasts boost deep chocolate A general flavor or aroma term reminiscent of chocolate. But what type? Usually described with more specifics.: Chocolate is a broad, general flavor or aroma term reminiscent of... low tones perfect for brew or espresso. City to Full City+. Good for espresso. |
| Colombia nzá Vereda San Antonio: | Sweet all along the roast spectrum, with notes of brown sugars, dark honeyIn coffee, honey-like sweetness is often found, but we use terms such as refined honey (highly filtered and processed) as opposed to raw honey rustic honey sweetness. This..., cinnamon-laced caramels, vanilla Vanilla notes in coffee are often related to caramelization notes, as butter and vanilla can be found in flavors and aromatics of roast reactions from reducing of sugars., dark chocolates, and fruitedIn some coffee taster’s lexicon, “fruity” means the coffee is tainted with fruit, and “fruited” means a coffee is graced by positive fruit notes. We don't exactly see... accents of apple An acid that adds to favorable perceptions of cup quality; malic acid often adds apple-like acidity, and perhaps other taste aspects recalling apples. Malic acid is yet another..., raisin, and candied orange Orange aromatics and flavors are prized in coffee, whether they take the form of sweet orange flesh and pulp, or orange peel. Orange flavors or aromatics can range.... City to Full City+. |
| Colombia Los Naranjos Heirloom Caturra: | Juicy and sweet, this heirloom lot conjures bright notes of mandarin and tangerine, a spritz of lemon Lemon notes, as well as other related citrusy flavors or acidities, are prized in coffee. These usually express themselves as a bright accent in the cup, or aromatic..., dark currant, raspberry herbalA flavor descriptor in coffee reminiscent of herbs, usually meaning aromatic, savory, leafy dried herbs. Usually, more specific descriptions are given, whether is is a floral herb, or... tea, and yellow cherry. Acidity falls somewhere between citric and malic. City to Full City. |
| Colombia Edward Sandoval Heirloom Bourbon: | A competition-level heirloom Bourbon (“Chiroso”) in limited quantity. Aromatic sweetness, refined fruits, and sparkling acidity, floral raw sugars, appleApple-like flavors in coffee can take on many different forms. The more common ones we use relate to malic acid brightness, which can recall different apple types: green..., Bartlett pear, white grape, cinnamon-apple tea. City to City+. |
More photos of the Hello: Colombia Origin Set!
