COLOMBIA FINCA MONTEBLANCO COCONUT LEMONADE CO-FERMENT NATURAL ANAEROBIC

Innovation meets tradition at Finca Monteblanco, where producer Rodrigo Sánchez Valencia continues a family legacy while pushing the boundaries of coffee processing. With a deep curiosity for fermentation and its potential, Rodrigo has become celebrated for developing expressive, fruit-driven profiles that remain grounded in the integrity of the coffee itself.

Working alongside his team at Aromas del Sur, every step, from germination to export, is carefully managed to ensure consistency, traceability, and quality. This co-ferment is a reflection of that philosophy. It’s a coffee designed not to mask the bean, but to unlock its full sensory potential.

This lesser-seen mutation of Caturra is prized at Finca Monteblanco for its adaptability and naturally high Brix levels. Its elevated sugar content makes it particularly well-suited for experimental fermentation, providing an ideal substrate for microbial activity while retaining structure, balance, and a distinctly coffee-forward foundation.

This coffee undergoes an intensive, multi-stage co-fermentation designed to build a bright, citrus-driven profile layered with creamy sweetness. The process begins before the coffee is introduced: a carefully selected blend of microorganisms - Lactobacillus and Saccharomyces cerevisiae among them - is combined into a fermentation culture alongside up to ten active yeast strains.

To shape the flavor profile, this culture is enriched with cholupa - a tart, lemonade-like fruit - and dried coconut, then fed with sugar-rich inputs such as molasses and granulated sugar to sustain and amplify microbial activity. The mixture is sealed and fermented on its own for approximately 8 days, allowing it to fully develop before interacting with the coffee.

Once ripe, whole coffee cherries are added directly into this active fermentation environment and undergo an extended fermentation of roughly 180 hours. This stage is where the integration occurs, microbial activity drives the transfer and expression of aromatic compounds, carefully building acidity, sweetness, and texture.

The co-fermentation on this lot integrates a lemon-like sweetness in with the natural fruitiness of the coffee. The addition of coconut to the fermentation rounds the mouthfeel out, along with this coffee being dried in the whole cherry. We love pour overs of this one for its sweetness and subtle complexities.