°LIMITED° El Vergel - Colombia - Filter - Koji Fermentation - 227g

Expect a spectacular cup with notes of dragon fruit, watermelon and rose hips. Koji processed coffees produce a vibrant cup with a higher acidity and body. It is a highly intricate process and require a lot of attention to execute. Koji spores are used to make miso, sake and other delicious things

Basically, coffees were harvested and put in a sanitized bucket where Koji spores were introduced together with a specific yeast to achieve a very specific ecosystem (or mold) that smells like tropical fruits (so cool!). Throughout the fermentation, the ecosystem has to stay within a stable temperature of 25 to 30 degrees, so lots of stirring were required to cool down the coffee bed. 

If you are interested in reading more about this method of processing, check out this article HERE. It's worth it.

From roaster:

After the huge popularity of our first Koji Bourbon lot release from earlier this year – we returned to our friends from El Vergel and instantly placed an order for a new one, but this time we experimented with using one of our all time favourite cultivars – Pink Bourbon. The results are unreal – try it for yourself and you won’t regret! This is a brand new and unique experimental Koji process used a special yeast called A. Oryzae to trigger different chemical reactions during the fermentation, enhancing the Amino Acids, a big factor in the Maillard reaction during roasting. The result is a balanced cup of coffee with a syrupy body, sparkling acidity and an overall round sweetness.

El Vergel is situated in the mountainous department of Tolima, El Vergel sits atop the inactive volcano on the Piedra Grand Trail – benefitting from a unique microclimate and localised volcanic terroir.The farm is managed by the Bayter brothers, Shady and Elias, and their mother, Marta. The brothers have been farming since their childhood, following their parent’s footsteps, who started growing avocados and conventional coffee back in 1995. Since then, El Vergel became known as one the largest producers in their region, leading them to provide economic growth to hundreds who worked with the farm. El Vergel Estate has been producing a variety of coffees and experimenting with new and innovative processing techniques based on the coffee’s density, genetics, and other characteristics.