The first coffee being introduced in our Artisanal Series is Colombia La Macarena! This coffee comes from the acclaimed importer Tio Conejo who brought us the Colombia Rosita from earlier this year and also from the Colombia Wilton Benitez from last year.  This is a very special coffee that our team had the opportunity to taste with the producer, Wilton Benitez, himself at the SCA Expo earlier this year.

La Macarena is known for its super-specialized resources, including a microbiology lab, and its focus on agronomy, genetics, biochemistry, and comprehensive quality control practices.  Wilton Benitez has a professional background in chemical engineering, with a distinct passion for incorporating outside fermentation technologies into coffee production.

This yeast fermentation process is a fitting example of this intersection between chemical engineering and coffee. It is meticulously harvested, thermo-shocked in water, added to a bioreactor, inoculated with yeast commonly used in brewing lager beers and fermented for 36 hours. After that, the juices are extracted, the coffee pulped, and both are returned to the bioreactor with another round of yeast inoculation. This time, the substrate has added nutrients and compounds to encourage a more delicious fermentation, resulting in a more sweet and fruity cup.