Colombia Finca Monteblanco Piña Colada

This exciting coffee from Finca Monteblanco undergoes a unique, extended fermentation process that results in genuinely unique flavours. 

Finca Monteblanco, led by Rodrigo Sánchez, produces exceptional coffees from the rare Purple Caturra varietal, blending tradition with innovation for award-winning microlots and year-round quality.

Read more about the farm here:

The Piña Colada Co-Fermented Washed process

The Piña Colada Co-Fermented Washed process begins with the creation of the fermentation culture. Initially, a mother culture containing microorganisms like lactobacillus and saccharomyces cerevisiae was established, derived from Rodrigo’s Purple Caturra coffee cherries. An 80-litre portion of this culture is then fed with sugar, molasses, dried coconut, and concentrated pineapple juice. This mixture not only enhances the flavour of the culture but also energizes fermentation, adjusting the sugar content to match the degrees Brix of the coffee set for processing. This primary fermentation takes 190 hours, achieving the necessary degrees Brix and pH for coffee processing.

Before processing with the fermented culture, the coffee cherries are assessed for sugar content immediately upon arrival at the Monteblanco mill. The cherries are floated to eliminate impurities, then pulped and placed into a 200-liter sealed tank. The previously fermented 80-litre culture is added to this tank, and the pulped coffee undergoes fermentation for 150 hours. Throughout this period, the team diligently monitors conditions to ensure that the environment remains above 6 degrees Brix and a pH of 4. Following fermentation, the coffee is transferred to the drying area, where it is sun-dried for 2–3 days and then shaded for an additional 15–18 days until it achieves a humidity level of 10–11%.

Tasting: Pineapple, with hints of Citrus and Candy.