Santiago Caro Chiroso Washed

Producer: Finca La Faida

Country, Region: Colombia, Antioquia, Urrao

Variety: Chiriso

Elevation: 1930 masl

Process: Washed

Roaster: Black & White - September 2022 Release

This coffee offers a unique profile and a deep flavor intensity of dark fruits, particularly black currant. The mouthfeel is both juicy and tangy which accentuates all of the flavor notes including citrus and rose florals. The acidity is in perfect balance with the jammy sweetness creating a finely structured coffee. Highly recommended.

Notes: With this coffee the through line is black currant and with different brew methods all sorts of other flavors appear such as melon, figs, mandarin orange, honey, black cherry juice cola and cocoa. The juiciness and tang is most pronounced when brewed on V60 or Origami compared to an immersion brew.

Background: The unique flavor profile is attributed to variety called Chiroso, not well known outside of Colombia. This variety was discovered near Urrao, a small town in the Antioquia region of Colombia which means it was a spontaneous mutation and was selected by Jose Arcadio Caro, a producer in the region. Most likely this variety (or cultivar as we say in horticulture terminology) was a mutation of the Caturra variety - a variety commonly planted in the farms around Urrao and whose lineage goes back to Ethiopia. It became popular for coffee farmers there because of its high productivity (yields) and resilience in the cool climates and high altitudes of Antioquia. It has since garnered fame as a winner in the Colombia Cup of Excellence first in 2014 by grower Carmen Montoya and since then again in 2020 by the Los Tres Mosqueteros Estate whose Chiroso coffee received a 90.3 score. Overall the cup quality very high and characterized by complexity and florality.