Los Guacharos (Colombia)

A pink bourbon offering from Colombia that’s sure to please fans of this fun variety and general coffee lovers alike! Plum is the main character here, yet with different recipes and grind sizes, watermelon, strawberry, and floral undertones can peek through. A pronounced lime-like acidity adds a clean balance to the cup, blending into something reminiscent of a rosé wine: juicy, fruity, sweet, and crisp.

Pink Bourbon is an Ethiopian landrace (heirloom) variety cultivated in Colombia since circa 1980, but it’s unclear exactly when it first took root in the soils of southern Huila. It has a high disease tolerance to a specific airborne fungus called roya, which decimates coffee trees and is hard to contain once it spreads. Pink bourbon also produces high yields and, conveniently, cups very well. Pretty pink/orange colored cherries set it apart from other varieties you might find out in nature. If you’re interested in learning more about the genetic classification of pink bourbon and its “discovery” in Colombia, this article is very informative.

This pink bourbon comes from Los Guacharos, a group of 7 individual farmers from Bruselas, Colombia, located in the southern portion of the Huila Department. They sell their coffee independent of intermediaries, prioritize the quality of collective members’ coffee, and are slowly moving towards entirely organic farming practices. Harvests from 5 of the 7 members are represented in this lot. All their coffee is picked ripe, pulped, and fermented until it arrives at an optimal washing point for maximum sweetness. Not only is this coffee delicious, but it’s also great knowing that the farms where it was grown prioritize regenerative farming practices and soil health – a win-win.