Jungle Berry

This blend is from three neighbouring producers in the south of Huila, and all three lots are Pink Bourbon that have undergone a two stage fermentation. The first is in cherry form and the second is in mucilage. The three producers are longtime legends: Jose Martinez, Juan Jimenez and Wilson Alba.

Jose Martinez and his wife Francy grow a bunch of coffee varieties and their Pink Bourbon is the creme de la creme. It’s constantly among the best Pink Bourbon’s in the country. It’s so good that they placed 1st in Colombia for Pink Bourbons in the Colombian Cup of Excellence in 2021. First in Colombia! That’s insane - being first in a prolific country like Colombia is such an incredible feat!

Jose was born on a coffee farm and first learned about coffee from his father. When he was 16 Jose decided to leave and ended up becoming a long-haul bus driver. He did this for over a decade until he decided to return home, buy the farm from his dad, and follow in his footsteps. Although he now regrets temporarily leaving the farm, he feels the time away developed a fire within him to become a better coffee producer.

Since 2015, all Jose has done is improve and reap the rewards. For me, it’s been amazing to watch it unfold. He has almost replanted his entire farm. He grows Tabi and Caturra, Pink Bourbon, Tabi, and Ethiopia Heirloom. The trees look great – they’re not overplanted, nor deprived of natural shade.

We have been working with Juan since 2020 and we regularly buy his Pink Bourbon, Red Bourbon, Colombia and Caturra. He’s a gem and an exemplar of what a quality focused producer can accomplish in Colombia.

Juan Jimenez is a second-generation coffee farmer who has been running his own show since 1980. His farm, Finca Buena Vista, is in one of my favourite regions of Colombia. The region is called Palestina and it’s in the southern end of the department (Colombia has departments, not provinces) of Huila. In fact, he is neighbours with our long-time friend and producer, Jose Martinez. He grows Caturra, Pink Bourbon, Red Bourbon and Typica.

Wilson Alba has lived and worked with his brother Jose on their farm Finca Sierra Morena for 16 years. The farm is about eight hectares, but about half is planted with coffee. This past year, I have tasted Pink Bourbon, Pacamara and Tabi from Wilson, and all three varieties have been outstanding, but the Pink Bourbon is his best tasting coffee.