Aponte Village - Honey
Description
MEET THE COMMUNITY | Honey processed coffees have a sweet spot here at Black & White (pun intended), and this selection from the Aponte Village is no different. This coffee certainly has a classic Colombian flavor profile, but those flavors are intensified by the honey processing method, leaving us with a cup that is not simply sweet - it's saturated and thick in its sweetness. That pronounced sweetness is an attribute which has become the hallmark of coffees produced by farmers in Aponte, and it's a big part of the reason we find ourselves coming back to this macro-lot year after year.
TRUST THE PROCESS | The honey processing method can be thought of as an "in-between" method of processing, compared to washed and naturally processed coffees. Using this method, the coffee is picked and sorted as red cherries before being pulped (removing the skin of the coffee cherry), but the small layer of fruit underneath the skin is left behind. The seeds - with their sticky fruit intact - are set out to dry, either on raised beds or patios. It is this added contact time between the fruit and the seed that, when done well, adds an intense sweetness to honey processed coffees. When done poorly, however, the entire flavor of the coffee will be dulled. It is no wonder, then, that the honey processing method is quite rare in Colombia; in fact, we really only see them regularly coming from the Aponte community in Nariño. There are certainly risks being taken with this method of processing, but the farmers in the Aponte Village navigate those risks beautifully, and this coffee is the result.
TAKE A SIP| We are so excited to have another opportunity to showcase the meticulous work of this community, and this cup of coffee is the perfect vehicle for doing so. It is intensely and richly sweet, leaving you with notes of marmalade, black plum, and (fittingly) honey. We hope that sipping this coffee will peak your interest in a relatively rare processing method while also inspiring an appreciation for the farmers and producers who execute that method so beautifully.
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Origin | Aponte, Nariño, Colombia
Producers | Laurano Santa Cruz & Alirio Dominguez
Process | Honey
Variety | Mixed
Elevation | 2100 masl
