Maria has been growing coffee for over 50 years and is clearly passionate about coffee. She says that her secret sauce is her passion for coffee and learning. I have met many coffee producers around the world and I agree with Maria - without passion, quality is not possible.

Maria’s farm is located in one of my favourite regions of Colombia: San Agustín. San Agustín is in the south end in the province of Huila and it’s a very dramatic region, with lots of cliffs, waterfalls, and deep valleys. More importantly, the coffee from San Agustín has a distinct fruity character that I have always gravitated towards. This specific lot from Maria is 100% Pink Bourbon variety and it certainly delivers on the fruit and juiciness.

Pink Bourbon was long believed to be a hybrid between Yellow and Red Bourbon. But recent genetic testing debunked this theory and have proven that Pink Bourbon actually comes from an Ethiopian landrace variety. My experiences cupping Pink Bourbon also support these genetic findings - I find the profile to be more exotic - it stands out from the more traditional Colombian varieties and resembles traits of Geishas, Ethiopian, and Kenyan coffees.

One of the things I love about this coffee is that it was fermented in a very traditional Colombian way. The cherries were picked and then immediately depulped and fermented underwater for 50 hours! The coffee was then washed and dried slowly on beds. The result is a fruit forward, juicy and super clean coffee, expressing the terroir of San Agustin grown Pink Bourbon!

- Seb