CATA x El Encanto - (Yeast-Inoculated Natural, Chiroso) SCA: 88

Origin: Colombia

Farm: El Encanto

Varietal: Chiroso

Altitude: 1650 MASL

Certification: Micro-lot

Process: Yeast-Inoculated Natural

Cup Score: 88

Cherry Tart, Chocolate Ganache & Vanilla

A truly special Yeast-Inoculated Natural Chiroso from Franky Hoyos.

This wonderful full-bodied & refined lot with cherry & vanilla richness has such a vibrant and exciting dessert-like profile - produced by El Encanto, a farm known for their outstanding fermentation innovation and rare and exotic varietal cultivation to a world-class level.

This modern and science-led yeast inoculation fermentation, a process to avoid the wild, naturally occurring microbes from controlling the fermentation, involves introducing a specific, cultured yeast. This “inoculates” the sealed barrel environment, meaning the yeast becomes the dominant microorganism.

This carefully introduced microbe aids fermentation predictability from a production point of view, leading to improved consistency and cup quality through enhanced sweetness, aromatic complexity, pronounced acidity and vivid clarity.

Process

The coffee begins with careful selection of ripe cherries to ensure only the best fruit is processed. After harvesting, the cherries undergo 70 hours of controlled oxidation in bags, enhancing complexity and flavor development.

The coffee is then re-pulped before entering a 60-hour anaerobic fermentation in 210-liter tanks, a step that intensifies the cup’s depth and character. Following fermentation, the beans experience a thermal shock and are inoculated with a fruit pulp–based yeast to further refine flavor profiles.

The coffee is then mechanically dried over 48 hours before undergoing a 15-day stabilization period, ensuring consistency and balance in the final cup.