Colombia is one of the largest coffee producing countries by volume, but it has more than just quantity to brag about. Due to its ideal growing conditions and slew of expert farmers and producers across a diverse range of regional terroirs, some of the best specialty coffee in the world comes from Colombia.

Rosetta Roastery brings us this lot from El Encanto, a smallholder farm of 120 hectares found in Ciudad Bolivar, which is a traditional Colombian coffee town in the Antioquian region. Antioquia is home to numerous coffee farms of various sizes spread out across the Western Range of the Andes Mountains, and is considered an iconic Colombian coffee-producing region. Many coffee growers in Antioquia are proud smallholders who still transport their coffee by mule. In recent years, however, Antioquian farmers have begun implementing state-of-the-art modern agricultural technology and experimental techniques, like innovative fertilisers and fermentation processes.

Colombian coffees, while diverse, do tend to be less fruit forward than, say, Kenyan or Rwandan coffees, particularly when they’ve undergone washed processing. However, this Colombian is a natural, meaning that the skin and flesh of the coffee fruit was left intact while it dried. This allows the sweet, juicy flavour of the fruit to seep into the bean and eventually find its way into your cup. 

Phaedon's tasting notes

While definitely a progressive roast profile (think light-medium), I reckon this coffee is going to be easy for everyone to enjoy. There's nothing too loud or brash about it. It's smooth, nutty, sweet, balanced and reasonably restrained in its acidity. It should make as good of a filter brew as an espresso, and I actually found that my cloth-filtered siphon brew really made it shine.

Rosetta Roastery's notes

Style: Progressive

Flavour profile: Clean and smooth, juicy tropical fruit, plum jam

“Though Colombians are known for their bright cup profile, this lot’s natural processing integrates the acidity, giving us a smooth and juicy cup perfect for filter brews and low acidity espressos teeming with fruit.”

Coffee details from Rosetta

“This new release from Colombian producer Juan Saldarriaga was grown on one of his acclaimed farms, El Encanto. 42 of the family’s 120 hectares of farmland are dedicated to diverse cultivars like Bourbons, Geishas, and SL28s, to name a few. His aim is to learn how each variety adapts to their environment, with the intention of scaling up the production of the best performers. 

“A number of young, small-scale farmers like Juan are striving to redefine Antioquia's reputation of producing predominantly chocolatey and heavy-bodied coffees. They are extensively experimenting to find what suits their tastes as well as the market demands. This lot exemplifies their efforts, with juicy tropical fruit upfront and a wonderfully clean finish, striking the perfect balance of complexity driven by processing without compromising on clarity.”

• Altitude: 1400 - 1800 masl
• Processing: Natural
• Variety: Various
• Region: Bolivar, Antioquia
• Country: Colombia
• Producers: Juan Saldarriaga of El Encanto Farm
• Harvest: 2023