Wilton Benitez - Thermal Shock Red Bourbon

MEET THE PRODUCER | Wilton Benitez is the owner of an innovative coffee company in the Cauca region of Colombia called Granja El Paraíso-92. Both the company and Wilton are renowned for growing unique coffee varietals and for pioneering new methods of coffee processing in the region. But, before Wilton added "coffee pioneer" to his LinkedIn profile, he was a trained chemical engineer! He has since redirected his scientific expertise toward his lifelong passion for cultivating coffee, and processing triumphs like this one are a delicious testament to that endeavor.

We had the distinct privilege of connecting with Wilton and his team thanks to a mutual friend, Juan Diaz of Knowhere Coffee, and our partners at CoTrade Imports. We are so thankful for the introduction!

TRUST THE PROCESS | After being handpicked at peak ripeness, the coffee cherries are sorted for quality by both size and density. They then undergo two rounds of sterilization, first with ozonated water, and second with ultraviolet light. The coffee cherries are in for a wild ride after this, as they're about to undergo three rounds of fermentation. The first round is 52 hours of anaerobic fermentation in cherry at a temperature of 18 degrees Celsius, during which time yeast is added to the mixture. While this initial round of fermentation is underway, the mucilage is recovered so that it can be added back to the fermentation environment in the next round. The cherries are then pulped before heading into round two: anaerobic fermentation in mucilage for 48 hours, at a slightly warmer temperature of 21 degrees Celsius. The cherries undergo a third and final round of fermentation in an aerobic environment for 68 hours. After this, they are washed using a thermal shock method: first, with water at 40 degrees Celsius, and second, with water at a chilly 12 degrees Celsius. Finally (finally!), the cherries are dried for 48 hours at a consistent temperature of 38 degrees centigrade.

TAKE A SIP | As a variety, Red Bourbon is known for its sweet and round characteristics, and Wilton wanted the flavor profile of this coffee to complement that of the variety. The result is a lot that we're lovingly calling, "baby's first thermal shock" - a clean-yet-still-fun introduction to the processing method. Approachable and sweet like brown sugar, this coffee has a fruit note for everyone: stone fruit (like apricot), orchard fruit (like red apple), and vine fruit (like white grape). Whatever your level of comfort and experience with experimentally processed coffees, this gentle expression of the thermal shock technique has something for everyone to love.

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Origin | Piendamó, Cauca, Colombia

Producer | Wilton Benitez

Farm | La Macarena

Process | Thermal Shock

Variety | Red Bourbon

Elevation | 1900 masl