El Vergel Estate Decaf - Elias and Shady Bayter - Watermelon Infused Honey Process Caturra Colombia - Colombia

Description

Whole Bean Roast: Light Recommended Rest: 2-3 weeks from roast date Tasting Notes: pink gatorade, kiwi, mojito Origin Details Region: Tolima, Colombia Elevation: 1750m Producer: Elias and Shady Bayter, El Vergel Estate Process: Watermelon Infused Honey Process SWP Decaf Variety: Caturra, Colombia ABOUT THIS COFFEE AND PRODUCER El Vergel Estate first started cultivating coffee in 2010, with their first harvest occurring in 2015. After experiencing struggles with the local market in 2017, the Bayter family set out to find new and innovative ways to add value to their coffees. In 2018, El Vergel was modernized and their processing expanded beyond just washed coffee. Little by little, they became pioneers of innovation in Colombia. Now, El Vergel carries out exhaustive research on yeast and fermentation processes as well as growing 28 different varieties of coffee. For this decaf lot, the cherries are first given a 48 hour anaerobic pre-fermentation in sealed bags. Then the beans are depulped to their mucilage. Next, they are co-fermented with yeast and infused with watermelon flavors. The beans are then pre-dried on patios before being mechanically dried. A 30 day stabilization period is then started so the beans can develop a balanced profile. Finally, the beans are sent to Swiss Water in Canada for the decaffeination process. WHY WE SELECTED THIS COFFEE Excited to introduce this coffee as the start of a new focused line on our menu. This decaf from El Vergel Estate begins a dedicated decaf program centered around quality and diversity, with the goal of offering more options for after hours brewing that still deliver expressive fruit forward and cocoa driven profiles. The advanced fermentation process used for this coffee creates a deeply sugary and candy like presentation that can shift quite a bit depending on brew style. It is a very process forward coffee with a lot of room to explore. In the cup we get a strong pink gatorade type sweetness with a refreshing effervescence and a tart green kiwi note that keeps everything bright. On the finish there is a cooling citrus mint quality that reminds us of the finish of a well made mojito. This coffee also complements our staple Granja Paraiso 92 decaf nicely, offering a very different kind of presentation and experience on the menu. We care deeply about bringing more quality and diversity into fruit forward decaf offerings and are excited to finally share this one.