Passion Fruit Co-Ferment Colombia x Washed Proces Kenya

Colombia, Jairo Arcila produced, Passion Fruit Co-Fermented coffee blended with a bright juicy Washed Process Kenyan bean from Mugaga Farmers' Cooperative Society. 

It's our biggest, juiciest, most tropical tasting co-ferment to date. Giving Lilt, Um Bongo, Solero vibes to the cup.

Why blend a co-ferment? 

We love bold and exciting coffees, and co-ferments are a flavour sensation always popular with our customers. BUT! Let me let you into a little secret, as much as I love trying coferments I hate drinking them. I find them too thick. My goal with this coffee was to create a co-ferment I enjoy sipping. The challenge was to cut through the body so I paired this funky, sweet and tropical bean with a bright acidic Kenyan. I wanted the acidity to cut through and gel with the passion fruit in order to bring out more tropical complexity to the cup whilst makming it juicy and easy to drink. You know what? I nailled it! 

Tell us about the coffee?

The Passion Fruit Co-Ferment

Producer: Jairo Arcila
Location: Santa Monica, Colombia 
Varietal: Castillo
Altitude: 1450-1500
Process: Washed, Wine Yeast + Passion Fruit (Anaerobic 48 hrs)

This coffee is harvested following a strict ripeness criteria, ensuring that only perfectly ripe
cherries are selected. Then, coffee cherries are packaged in grain pro bags and transported to
our processing center, La Pradera. Upon arrival at La Pradera, the cherries undergo a
meticulous quality control process, including hand-sorting and flotation, to remove any lowdensity, underripe, or defective cherries.

Then, the cherries undergo a dry anaerobic 48-hour fermentation, during this stage, passion
fruit pulp and wine yeast are added to the fermentation tanks This combination enhances the coffee’s natural flavors, introducing vibrant fruity and tropical notes while adding layers of complexity. The anaerobic environment allows for a slow and controlled fermentation, ensuring the development of a rich and distinctive flavor profile.

Passion fruit is known for its intense, tropical flavor profile, characterized by notes of sweettart citrus, pineapple, mango, and berry. When added during fermentation, these flavors are transferred to the coffee beans, creating a cup that is bursting with vibrant, fruity characteristics.

Wine yeast, plays a unique role in the fermentation process, enhancing the coffee’s
complexity and introducing distinctive characteristics. Wine yeast is highly efficient at
converting sugars into alcohol and other compounds during fermentation. In coffee, this
process helps break down the mucilage more effectively, releasing organic acids and other
compounds that contribute to the coffee’s flavor.

Following fermentation, the cherries are pulped and thoroughly washed to remove the
mucilage. The wastewater generated during our washed process is then treated using our
green filtration system. This system filters the water through a series of specialized tanks
before irrigating it into vetiver grass beds. Through this natural filtration process, the water is
purified and released as oxygen. As a result, no contaminated water is discharged from our
processing center, ensuring an environmentally sustainable operation.

Once coffees are washed, they are spread out on raised beds when they are exotic varieties
or in our elbas drying station for bigger lots. The team monitors them closely to ensure even
drying and optimal quality. We aim for 9.5%-11% moisture content, which is the perfect point
for us.

Kenya, Keini AB

Wash Station: Keini
Location: Kenya, Nyeri County 
Varietal: SL28 & 34, Ruiru11
Altitude: 1700
Process: Washed

The Kieni wet mill is situated in Nyeri, in Kenya’s central highlands, at an elevation of 1,700 metres above sea level. It is operated by the Mugaga Farmers’ Cooperative Society.

Nyeri County is characterised by cool temperatures and fertile red volcanic soils typical of the central highlands, commonly known as nitisols. The region lies between the eastern foothills of the Aberdare mountain range, part of the eastern edge of the Great Rift Valley, and the western slopes of Mount Kenya. Nyeri town also serves as a gateway for visitors travelling to Aberdare National Park and Mount Kenya.

Coffee produced in Nyeri generally develops and matures slowly, which contributes to the formation of dense, hard beans. This quality is reflected in the cup through pronounced acidity and a rich, syrup-like mouthfeel. For this reason, Nyeri has long been recognised as one of Kenya’s most important coffee-producing regions.

Coffee is cultivated mainly on the slopes and upper plateau, where most farming families live. The land is divided into small family plots, with each household managing its own coffee trees.

The mill has introduced an electronic weighing system that records the weight of cherry deliveries and provides each farmer with a printed receipt. The receipt also shows a cumulative total of the coffee delivered over time.

Kieni is one of several mills owned by the Mugaga Farmers’ Cooperative and currently serves approximately 1,000 members, although membership numbers and delivery volumes may vary, as not all members deliver cherry to Kieni at all times.

This coffee is fully washed. After delivery to the wet mill, the cherries are pulped to remove the outer skin and fruit. Wastewater from this stage is directed into soaking pits for recirculation, supporting water conservation. Pulping is carried out using a disc pulper with three sets of discs that separate the skin and fruit from the parchment-covered bean. The coffee is then fermented overnight to break down residual sugars, after which it is washed, soaked, and spread on raised drying beds. Drying typically takes between 7 and 15 days, depending on climatic conditions and ambient temperature, until the moisture content reaches 10 to 12 percent. In some cases, drying may extend over two to three weeks under slower conditions. The coffee is then transferred to the dry mill and stored in parchment in traditional warehouses known as bodegas until it is ready for dry milling and export.