A bright and vibrant Chiroso from the legendary town of Urrao!

Origin: Urrao, Antioquia, Colombia

Producer: Multiple Smallholder Producers

Process: Washed

Varieties: Chiroso

Elevation: 1900-2300 masl

Importer: The Coffee Quest

Roast: Light

Notes: Damson Plum, Cherry Coke, Lemon Cake, Dark Chocolate

Las Perlitas, little pearls.

During our trip to Colombia last year we got the opportunity to meet up with Stephen from Coffee Quest. Stephen lives and works out of Colombia and has a huge passion for special high-quality coffees and processes. At Coffee Quest they work directly with producers, and have their own mill in Antioquia to have further control over the quality the export!

During my time with Coffee Quest we took a quick rip from Medellín to Urrao, the home of one of the finest varietals, Chiroso! When done correctly, Chiroso is an incredibly diverse coffee that shows so nicely as a filtered coffee. Urrao is an absolutely beautiful town, surrounded by lush green rolling hills filled with roaming horses and gorgeous scenery, it was almost surreal. 

Las Perlitas is a regional lot coordinated by The Coffee Quest, allowing them to separate and buy high quality Chiroso from producers who can’t grow enough volume to make their own exportable lot. This is great for farmers who will receive a higher price for a coffee that would otherwise get lost in a larger regional blend.

The Chiroso varietal originated in Antioquia, a Colombian mutation of Ethiopian Landraces; similar to the origin of Pink Bourbon in the Huila region. We are stoked to get to try a regional snapshot from where it all began!

On average, coffees in this lot are fermented for 24-48hrs before being depulped. This will help to accentuate fruitier flavours and increase the complexity of the coffee. Coffee is then dried for 7-14 days, and then brought down to the buying station for sampling and tasting. 

In the Cup

Expect a big, sweet Damson Plum and Cherry Coke up front, a soft Lemon Cake body in the middle, and a lingering Dark Chocolate finish.

Brewing Recommendations:

• Pour-over: 1:16 ratio, easy to work with, we love the 15g-250ml in the kalita wave.

• Espresso: 18g-18.5g in / 37g-39g out / 27-30 seconds.