Fruitcake

FIRST ROAST SHIPS 12/9!

Just like the holiday classic it's named after, but way better. Fruitcake is our celebration of expressive processing and varietal character. With this blend we combine 3 coffees from legendary producers Jose Ignacia "Pepe" Jijon, Edinson Argote, and Jairo Arcila. 

The base of the blend is Finca Soledad's Natural Sidra. Pepe Jijon is an award winning producer, a biodynamic coffee farmer, insane mountaineer, and one of our favorite producers. His care for nature and his community are unmatched, and you can taste the love in this Sidra. Sidra is a cross mutation between Bourbon and Typica, said to have originated in Ecuador. The flavor profile generally falls into high sweetness, clear acidity, and velvety body. World Coffee Research says it's possible that Sidra does not have a clear genetic identity. This Sidra undergoes an 8-day fermentation in tanks. During the last two days of fermentation, mosto is being added. Mosto is the result of the fermentation of clean, freshly picked ripe cherries in a medium with a low incidence of oxygen. After the fermentation, coffee is slowly drying for 22 to 30 days. This coffee provides an intensely sweet, boozy rum raisin base. 

The Castillo Honey Pineapple comes from Jairo Arcila. The Castillo variety, developed by Colombia's Federación Nacional de Cafeteros (FNC) through its research centre, Cenicafé, was officially released in 2005. Developed from a genetic cross between the Timor Hybrid (known for its disease resistance) and Caturra (valued for its compact size and stand out cup profile), Castillo combines the best traits of both varieties. For this lot, only the ripest cherries were harvested. The cherries undergo a dry anaerobic fermentation process for 72 hours with the pulp on. During this stage, pineapples are added to the fermentation tanks. The pineapples transfer their distinct bright, tangy acidity and tropical fruitiness flavor to the coffees, producing aromatic compounds that add complexity and depth.

To tie this blend together, we use Edinson Argote's Cinnamon Caturra. Edinson's team picks a minimum of 80% fully ripe cherries, then floats them to remove any unripes. Oxidation is conducted in food-grade plastic barrels for 24 hours. The cherries are then depulped dry (without using water). Fermentation continues for a total of 48 hours with the addition of a specific yeast strain and cinnamon. After fermentation, the coffee is dried for 76 hours at average temperatures of 40°C. This coffee adds all of the holiday cheer with flavors of cinnamon, cardamom, and vanilla.