Wilton Benitez - Thermal Shock Chiroso

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, Chiroso tends to be vibrant and bright, with pronounced acidity and pleasant florality. Sounds pretty great, right? When met with Wilton's meticulous Thermal Shock processing protocol, this already-lovely coffee became tropical and juicy in the cup, reminding us of Kool Aid, fruit cocktail, and the copious amounts of popsicles we used to consume in between swim sessions each summer. Sweet like turbinado sugar and reminiscent of a crisp white wine, the flavor experience as a whole makes us think of white sangria - which in turn makes us long for the beach.

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Origin | Piendamó, Cauca, Colombia

Producer | Wilton Benitez

Farm | La Macarena

Process | Thermal Shock

Variety | Chiroso

Elevation | 1900 masl