436 Colombia Chiroso Washed

Flavor Notes

Beans

Producer: Edwin, Edison, Juan
Producer: Ricardo Girlado /Jorge Elias Rojas
Area: Huila, Colombia
Altitude: 2,000m
Varietal: Chiroso
Processing: Washed 

Roast Level

Light roast

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<Edwin, Edison, Juan>

This coffee was sourced through the producer network of Caravela Coffee, an export company that works closely with coffee farmers across Colombia. Caravela operates quality control laboratories in some of the country’s most renowned coffee-growing regions, including Huila, Tolima, Cauca, and Nariño, helping producers consistently achieve outstanding quality.

At the heart of Caravela’s work is its educational program called PECA. Through PECA, producers receive ongoing training in cultivation practices, harvest timing, fermentation and drying management, and even cupping, allowing them to evaluate their own coffees. Rather than simply producing coffee, farmers develop the knowledge and skills needed to understand quality and continuously improve it themselves.

This long-term commitment transforms coffee producers into true quality-focused professionals, resulting in coffees that are cleaner, more consistent, and more expressive in the cup.

The lot featured here was produced by three farmers from Huila: Edwin, Edison, and Juan. What they share is a fascination with the potential of the Chiroso variety. Some first encountered its exceptional cup quality and vigorous growth at neighboring farms before planting it themselves, while others introduced it as part of specialty coffee development projects. Although each arrived at Chiroso through a different path, they all share the same goal—to produce even better coffee through continuous innovation. This coffee is a nanolot blend of their three Chiroso lots.

When we first evaluated the green coffee, its high moisture content and density suggested that it could handle a generous amount of heat early in the roast. However, the resulting cup felt a little too light in body. For the final roast profile, we reduced the initial heat application and allowed the beans to warm more gradually before increasing the heat once it had begun to penetrate the interior. This adjustment preserved the coffee’s vibrant fruit character while developing a richer, more syrupy mouthfeel and deeper sweetness.

Personally, I recommend enjoying this coffee about three weeks after roasting. As it ages, the texture becomes even smoother, and the fruit-forward acidity becomes more expressive and beautifully integrated.

In the cup, the first impression is a refined citrus note reminiscent of buntan (Japanese pomelo), offering a soft, elegant character unique to Japanese citrus. This is followed by the gentle sweetness of apricot, while subtle herbal and sweet-tart nuances evoke rhubarb jam. Notes of brown sugar and almond linger pleasantly, remaining balanced and comforting even as the coffee cools.

This is not a coffee that demands attention with bold intensity. Instead, its charm reveals itself gradually with every sip. The more you drink, the more you find yourself thinking, “This is a really beautiful coffee.” Quietly comforting and deeply satisfying, it’s the kind of cup you’ll naturally reach for again.