Colombia Lychee Breeze

Colombia Lychee Breeze — Finca El Paraíso

Lot YN-09 is a Castillo coffee grown at 1,960 metres above sea level at Finca El Paraíso in Piendamó, in the upper Cauca River basin of south-western Colombia. The wider Café de Cauca designation of origin is characterised by volcanic soils and high-altitude farms reaching up to 2,100 metres.

A family project with an innovative approach

El Paraíso began as a family project without a background in coffee farming and sells directly to roasters. The farm has developed processing technologies including thermal shock washing, condensation drying equipment and yeast-mediated biocatalysis. Through a co-production model, it also processes cherries from smallholder farmers, paying them at the equivalent value of dried coffee.

Carefully controlled fermentation

At harvest, 95% of the cherries are picked fully ripe. They are washed in ozone-rich water to reduce the microbial load, then fermented anaerobically for 48 hours at 18°C in tanks fitted with pressure-release valves.

After pulping, the coffee undergoes a second 48-hour anaerobic fermentation at 18°C in its mucilage, with Lactobacillus added at 2 g per kilogram of coffee. A thermal shock wash follows, first at 45°C and then at 5°C, with the aim of preserving aromatic compounds developed during fermentation.

Precise drying and resting

The coffee is dried for 28 hours using recirculated air at 40°C and 25% relative humidity to a moisture content of 10–11%. It is packed in GrainPro and rested for 15 days to stabilise. Electronic and manual sorting during dry milling complete the selection process.

In the cup

Lychee leads, followed by strawberry, candy-like sweetness and floral notes. Lively acidity and a light, clean body make this an expressive filter coffee.

How to brew

Start with 15 g of coffee to 250 g of water at 92–94°C. Aim for a total brew time of 2:45–3:15 and adjust to taste.

Single-origin specialty Arabica, roasted by Wave Coffee Roasters in Portugal.