Coffee of the Month

June Release: Passiflora, Columbia

Cupping notes: Milk Chocolate, Nougat, Raisin, Cola
Roast profile: Medium
Process: Washed
Arabica/Robusta Hybrid variety: Colombia, Caturra, Castillo, Tabi, Typica
Growing altitude: 5400 feet ASL
Origin: Planadas, Tolima, Colombia

Passiflora is Spanish for passion fruit flower - a large blossom with a star shaped stigma, a triangle of stamens, purple petals and zig zaggy florets. This breathtaking flower is what the group of famers who bring us this month’s coffee call themselves.

The Passiflora coop is a group of 34 farmers who gathered together and partnered with a Colombian export company called “Cedro Alto”. The farmers base their operations in Planadas, a very remote village in Tolima. While much of Colombia has significantly improved over the past 20 years, here the farmers are still dealing with a strong narcotics presence.

This is a solid coffee. You might be thinking, “Robusta?!” This is a fair question, since Robusta is typically considered inferior to Arabica, but let me explain. The Colombia, Castillo, Caturra and Tabi are all Robusta hybrids, having been crossed with the East Timor Hybrid. But these coffees are simply amazing! While I would avoid certain Robusta hybrid varietals, the Colombia and Castillo have consistently yielded high quality cups. What’s more, this genetic vigor allows for the use of less fertilizers, which we can get behind!