La Piragua - Colombia - Pink Bourbon - Natural
Pink Bourbon. Huila. Natural! This lot is produced by Alexander Vargas at his farm La Piragua. You may recognise the name, if you've been checking the Cup of Excellence finalists for the past decade. This is a great example of high quality natural processing; sweet and rich but still juicy and clear. Expect a bold, ripe coffee with notes of pomegranate, cantaloupe, and kiwi.
We sourced this coffee through our new friends at La Palma y El Tucan, by way of their sister company Equation Coffee, whereby they connect with local coffee farmers and provide support to improve quality and assist with export. Not that Alexander Vargas needs the help, he is no newcomer to the world of specialty coffee production. He has been a coffee farmer for over 25 years, beginning on his parents farm at only 15 years old. At 20, he decided to begin his own journey and produce high-quality specialty coffees and cultivate exotic varieties. Since then, he has placed in Colombias Cup of Excellence competition an impressive 4 times.
Info
Farm
La Piragua is a 10 hectare farm cultivating Caturra, Java, Geisha, Tabi & Pink Bourbon. Alongside coffee Alexander also cultivates dragonfruit on 2 hectares of land.
Region
Huila is geographically perfect for coffee growing and is quickly becoming one of Colombias biggest coffee growing regions.
Competition
In 20221, Alexander came 7th in the Cup of Excellence with a washed Pink Bourbon. He made the finals again the following year with the same coffee.
Terroir
La Piragua sits at 1800 masl on mineral-rich, black soils. The high altitudes help to lower temperatures in Huila’s warm, tropical climate.
Variety
Pink Bourbon is an Ethiopian landrace variety famed for it's florality & citrus notes. In this particular lot, the natural processing showcases the citrus and brings out a layered, red-fruit quality.
Process
Whole cherries have a 72-hour oxidation followed by a 98-hour anaerobic fermentation in barrels with degassing valves. The coffee is then dried in a solar drying shed for 20 days until it reaches a moisture content of 10.10%
Pink Bourbon
"The mistakenly-named Pink Bourbon is not a Bourbon at all, nor a mutation of Bourbon, but actually an Ethiopian landrace variety."
The origins of how this Ethiopian landrace variety, with its pinkish-hued fruit, landed in Colombia is a mystery. The most likely explanation is that someone, at some time, tried to bring in Gesha seed from Ethiopia and instead ended up with what we now know as Pink Bourbon. What we do know however, is that this person lived in Huila, and planted the variety alongside an abundance of Bourbon.
Suspicions that this ‘Pink Bourbon’ was not actually Bourbon at all quickly came about when the pink-variation began dominating cupping tables with a profile unlike any other Bourbon before it. The pronounced florality, citric acidity and tea-like quality set it on a path to become a highly sought after cult-favourite amongst the specialty coffee world. Reminiscent of some other Ethiopians landraces before it…
La Piragua
“In 2009, Alexander Vargas transformed Finca La Piragua from basic land into its current state, featuring a residence, a coffee processing area, micro-beneficio fermentation tanks, and drying space.”
Alexander Vargas is a recognized, but often overlooked name in the world of specialty coffee. He is a humble man, but having placed in the finals of the Cup of Excellence 4 times is reason enough for applause. His success until now is by no means of chance. He is a dedicated, hard working coffee producer who built his farm and legacy from the ground up. He is focused not only on quality, but on the sustainability of coffee production for the land, himself, and the community in Palestina, and he is constantly innovating and looking forward. Along with some neighbouring farmers and his wife Lydia, they recently established a small school for the children of the community.
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