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"In order to grow, we must be open to change." 

On the US Barista competition stage this past weekend, our very own Jake McFarland had the tremendous privilege of serving one of the coffees in this blend to some of the most revered humans in the specialty coffee community... and he had one very important refrain as he did so.

MEET THE PRODUCER | Jhonatan Gasca is no stranger to failure. In 2010, he failed in his attempt to become a professional soccer player. After re-routing his future and graduating from the Colombian National Technical Institute, Jhonatan returned to his father's coffee farm and started experimenting with fermentation methods. At first, this did not go well. After a couple of years of running trials and being turned away by coffee buyers, Jhonatan grew discouraged and gave up his newfound interest in processing methods for a long time.

Finally, in 2018, Jhonatan was encouraged by his friends from El Diviso and Las Flores to start experimenting again. And this time, he thrived! Jhonatan found the right buyers (our friends at Lohas Beans) and is quickly becoming a leader in processing innovation in his home country of Colombia. This blend of two thermal shock Pacamara lots is a testament to Jhonatan's resilience and fortitude - and also, of course, to his ability to grow when confronted with change.

TRUST THE PROCESS | Each of these two Pacamara lots underwent a thermal shock protocol, but one was processed as a natural and the other, as a washed coffee. Those unique processes are detailed below: 

TS Washed | After being picked at peak ripeness, the coffee cherries are placed in 200-liter tanks with water, where floaters and other impurities are removed. The water is then drained, and a second round of quality sorting (by hand) ensues. The cherries are left to oxidize for 48 hours in open bags, giving them time to warm up and thus enhancing both sweetness and fruit flavors. After two days, the bags are closed to prepare the cherries for 150 hours of anaerobic fermentation. During this time, the sugar present in the still-intact mucilage interacts with lactic acid bacteria and microorganisms in the fermentation environment, further intensifying those fruity flavors. This second round of fermentation abruptly ends when the cherries are "quenched:" a specific method of cooling down coffee cherries, wherein first hot (50 degrees Celsius) and then cold (20 degrees Celsius) water is used to wash the cherries, eliminating the microbial load and opening the pores in the bean (with the hot water) before rapidly sealing them (with the cold water), locking in all of those delicious fruit flavors. Finally, the cherries are spread out to dry on African beds for two weeks, being closely monitored for humidity.

TS Natural | After being picked at peak ripeness, the coffee cherries are sorted for quality by both floating and hand-sorting. Then, the beans are placed in sealed plastic bags for 3-4 days to allow for cherry oxidation. After this initial period of fermentation, a thermal shock protocol is used to seal the accumulated sweetness and fruit flavors. A second round of fermentation ensues, this time with a yeast inoculation, and lasts for several days. Finally, the coffee cherries are dried in the sun for 4 days before finishing the drying process in mechanical dryers.

TAKE A SIP | Although certainly not a red fruit bomb, this coffee does maintain some lovely red stone fruit characteristics - think fresh cherries! It boasts a nice sweetness and vibrant acidity, reminding us of candied oranges. Lightly floral, like lilac, this coffee also maintains a note of dark chocolate throughout sipping which Jake found ever-present and delightful in his own cup at USBC. This uniquely processed coffee brings together the two worlds of naturally processed coffees and washed lots, giving us a lovely flavor profile that is somehow loyal to both. 

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Origin | Bruselas, Huila, Colombia

Producer | Jhonatan Gasca

Farm | Zarza

Process | Natural Thermal Shock | Washed Thermal Shock

Variety | Pacamara 

Elevation | 1750 masl