Origin: Piendamó, Cauca, Colombia

Producer: Wilton Benitez

Farm: Granja Paraíso 92

Process: Anaerobic Natural

Varieties: Yellow Tabi

Elevation: 1950masl

Importer: Macarena Cafe

Roast: Medium-light

Notes: Grape Popsicle, Sherry, Mint Tea, Chocolate Milk

Transparency - We paid $13CAD/lb + shipping

We've got another delicious coffee from Wilton Benitez! This year Wilton did something a little different with his Tabi, and we're REALLY enjoying the new method! This lot is picked ripe, and given an initial primary anaerobic fermentation, before being put out on raised beds for a more traditional natural process finish. This has really amplified the purple fruity flavours present in this Tabi! 

Who’s Wilton Benitez & Granja Paraiso 92

Wilton is a long time coffee grower, Q-grader, and coffee roaster. Focusing these passions into growing rare selective coffees, and experimenting with unique style of processing to bring out specific and beautiful flavours.

He owns and manages three farms, with Granja Paraiso 92 being the smallest at 5 hectares, which utilizes innovative farming techniques, has a full processing plant, microbiology lab, and quality lab on the property.

I had the privilege to join a cupping ran by Wilton while Jenn and I were in Chicago, and hearing him speak about his passion behind his growing and processing was truly inspiring. The man is a perfectionist with a ton of curiosity, and his coffees show off his unique take on this weird little beverage we all love.

So what’s going on with this coffee?

We're starting with a cherry grown by Wilton Benitez, Specifically a Tabi varietal.  Tabi is a varietal that was introduced to Colombia in 2002 to help maintain high-quality cup scores, while combating coffee leaf rust. Much like our lovely pups, when we mix multiple varietals together, they can take on each positives, and be more resistant to negative factors. Tabi is a hybrid varietal of Bourbon, Typica, and Timor.

As the mad scientist that Wilton is, he takes this coffee and elevates it with his unique processing skills. After his usual process of picking only ripe cherries, density sorting, and sterilization, he puts the coffee into an oxygen-free environment (usually stainless steel tanks) for its initial phase of fermentation. After the initial fermentation, the coffee is spread out on raised beds and left to dry, akin to traditional natural processing of Ethiopia.

What’s in the cup?

This coffee is incredibly complex and unique. The aromatics are sweet and purple, with unique herbals and botanicals. In the cup we're getting big sweet grape, soft sherry notes, mint tea, all wrapped in a smooth chocolate milk finish.

 I've been thoroughly enjoying it as a pour-over on my kalita wave, as an iced v60, aeropress, and boy does it ever make a sweet espresso!

While we aim to ship coffee roasted the same week as your order, this lot may arrive a week or so off-roast, which is actually ideal! We’ve found this coffee enters its peak flavor window around 14 days post-roast once it has had proper time to degas. As a small-batch roaster, we appreciate your understanding and can't wait for you to try it at its absolute best.