Colombia | Patio Bonito | Paola Trujillo | Sidra Washed | Signature Series

Paola Trujillo is a young, dedicated grower who owns the 11-hectare Patio Bonito with her family in Cauca, in Colombia's south-west. A chemical engineer by training, she joined the family coffee project under her father Carlos and mother Maria Angela, learning every stage of pre- and post-harvest work with a focus on quality and consistency. She also runs courses and training at the farm for young people in her community.

We met Paola when she was in Australia doing a tasting tour & I'm very glad that we sell many of her fantastic coffees.

Process

Grown at 1570–1650 metres and picked to strict ripeness criteria, the cherries are floated and hand-sorted, given a long underwater fermentation, then pulped, gently washed and dried under controlled conditions to an even moisture — a clean, precise washed preparation that lets the Sidra speak.

Region

Cauca, in Colombia's south-west, is prized for high-altitude farms and cool nights that slow cherry maturation, building sweetness and a bright, structured acidity.

Sidra (also spelled Sydra) is a captivating, exotic variety of Bourbon–Typica lineage, associated with Ecuador and now highly sought after on Colombia's competition scene. It is low-yielding and needs careful husbandry — resistant to drought but susceptible to leaf rust — which is why it is grown only by producers willing to invest the attention it demands.

Its magic is in the cup: celebrated for complexity, balance and a floral, tea-like elegance. In this washed lot from Patio Bonito it shows as stewed plum and red grape lifted by a bergamot-like brightness.