Colombia Santa Monica Extended Fermentation Gesha Natural

Description

The Roaster's Select Program program allows us the flexibility to explore beans which don't quite fit into our standard business model, such as experimental fermentations, rare varietals, limited sized lots, and expensive treats. These beans will be available in very limited quantity, only as whole bean, and to keep the price point down and give more people a chance to try them, they will only come in a smaller bags. Please bear in mind, I'm not telling you these beans are 3x as tasty or 3x the value as our normal beans, these should be regarded as something interesting to try, or a special treat. The only reason we have these is that Nick wants to play with fun beans. These will be prepared in very small quantities, and added to inventory as they become available.What's in the cup? Lighter extractions show grape juice and rice wine, while heavier extractions bring more tartness and strawberry tones. This one walks the funk line, and I personally preferred lower extraction cups. Curiously, increased extraction brings out sourness.Will it Spro? Turbos bring all the funk.Roast Color: 119.8 (higher is lighter)Roast Date: 5-28-26Recommended Minimum Rest: 4 weeksGesha varietal grown by Jairo Arcila in Quindio, EF2 Natural process (read more below), dried on patios, 1450-1500 masl.Sold in 100g bags.Brewmaster J's Notes and TipsS&W Santa Monica Ext Ferm Natural Gesha I got sour strawberry/grape hard candies and some tart tropical notes with a cocoa nib base but in reality this coffee is mainly tart fruit candies. A few cups had that Sauvignon blanc-like gooseberry/passion fruit note but those were the exception. This one is very susceptible to sourness if you push it even just a little. I had to go for a coarse grind and low ratio to get there, lower than any coffee I’ve had to date. Once you get there this is still a very bright coffee so anyone who likes acid bombs will probably enjoy this one. Overall this is an interesting coffee that probably lends itself to super bright iced americano/soupicano just keep the ratio lower than normal and the grind size a bit coarser. I used a Gabi A for this, but if you don’t have one you can simulate with another drip distributor and very slow second pour.Grind 5.0 ZP6Temp 90CBrewer Gabi ARecipe 4 pour 15g/210g recipe 50/160 with a 30s bloom, 50g directly into the bed ~3-5g/s then add the water distributor and fill the rest of the way.More about the producer and process:Developed by Cofinet’s quality team and co-founder Felipe Arcila, the EF2 method is meticulously controlled to develop structure, sweetness, and distinct tropical notes while preserving the coffee's bright clarity. The EF2 Natural Process (Extended Fermentation 2) is an innovative, multi-stage fermentation method which features an initial 24-hour dry aerobic fermentation, followed by 50 or more hours of anaerobic fermentation in GrainPro bags. This results in intensely complex, fruit-forward, and wine-like coffees.How the EF2 Process WorksSelective Harvest: Coffee cherries are hand-picked at peak ripeness and rigorously sorted to remove any defective fruit.Aerobic Fermentation: Whole, un-pulped cherries are placed in dedicated tanks where they are exposed to oxygen for about 24 hours. This kickstarts microbial activity and sets the stage for a vibrant fruit profile.Anaerobic Fermentation: The cherries are then sealed in oxygen-restricted environments (such as GrainPro bags) for an additional 50 hours (or more, depending on the specific lot). During this phase, native yeasts and lactic acid bacteria slowly break down sugars in the mucilage, often maintaining temperatures below 22°C.Slow Drying: Once fermentation is complete, the cherries are moved to raised parabolic drying beds. They are dried slowly for 15 to 18 days until the ideal moisture content is reached.This microlot is 100% Gesha.Jairo Arcila is a third-generation coffee grower from Quindío, Colombia. He is married to Luz Helena Salazar and they have two children together, Carlos and Felipe Arcila, who are the co-founders of Cofinet, our export partner for this coffee. Jairo’s first job was at Colombia’s second largest exporter, working as their Mill Manager for over 40 years until his retirement in 2019. Jairo bought his first coffee farm, Finca La Esmeralda, in 1987 and this is where he planted his first Caturra lot. He was fortunate enough to earn money by producing coffee on his farm in addition to working full time. Using his savings, Jairo slowly managed to purchase five additional farms. After Esmeralda came Villarazo, Mazatlan, Santa Mónica, Maracay, and then Buenos Aires. Now, during the harvest period, Jairo can provide jobs to the locals generating an economic impact in the community. He received great insight and expertise from his sons’ in the picking, sorting, and processing of his coffees. This insight has empowered Jairo and given him the tools needed to showcase fantastic coffees with amazing profiles from the region.