Misiones Bourbon

A delicious Colombian bourbon

We're starting the year off strong with a delicious natural Bourbon coffee from our oldest direct trade partner, Luis Fernando Lloreda at Hacienda Misiones in Colombia.

Over the years, we've tasted various coffees from them, but they have all been washed coffees. This is the first time we're getting a natural coffee from their farm – and we are very impressed with the purity and sweetness they have achieved.

The Bourbon Variety

The farm is located in the central region of Colombia, where the humidity levels are high. This makes it quite challenging to produce natural coffee, as it requires a considerable amount of effort to prevent spoilage and mold. Therefore, we are particularly impressed with their excellent work on this coffee.

Bourbon is one of the cornerstones of modern specialty coffee varieties. French missionaries brought this variant from Yemen to Bourbon Island (now called Réunion), from which it derived its name. In the mid-1800s, the variety was introduced to Central and South America. It is a parent to many varieties, such as Caturra and Catuai, which are now actually more popular than Bourbon itself. Bourbon is known for its abundance of sweetness and delicious fruit flavors, varying in intensity depending on the origin and processing method.

Flavour and aroma

In recent years, we have observed a trend towards producing clean, natural coffees. This is evident when we taste our natural Ethiopian coffee, Sookoo Qabballe, which almost resembles a washed Ethiopian coffee. However, it is also very apparent in this natural Bourbon. There's very little 'funk,' but plenty of fruity flavors.

This coffee's aroma is sweet and slightly fruity, with notes of strawberry jam, dried apple slices, red candies, and sugar cookies.

The coffee itself is sweet, fruity, and well-balanced, with notes of strawberry jam, cantaloupe, yellow plum, and sugarcane.

Specifications

Country: Colombia
Region: Cundinamarca
Producer: Luis Fernando Lloreda, Hacienda Misiones
Variety: Bourbon
Processing: Natural
Altitude: 1600-1800 moh
Harvest: 2023
Notes: Strawberry jam, cantaloupe, yellow plum and sugar cane.

Our Purchase

We paid $13.35 per kilogram for the coffee (FOB).

The market price at the time of the contract was $3.50 per kilogram.

This means that we have paid 280% over the market price for this specific coffee.

Read more about why we pay more for our coffee here.

Sebastian's Guide

Brewing delicious coffee

We recommend brewing Misiones Bourbon using our recipe for optimal sweetness, balance, and complexity. We suggest employing an extended 'bloom' and not grinding too finely, but feel free to experiment with the variables.

Here's what you'll need:

24g freshly ground coffee (30 clicks on Comandante or 850 microns)

400g filtered water at 95°C

Pour-over guide:

Start the timer and pour 60g of water over the coffee to allow it to bloom/bubble.

At 1:30, pour water up to 400g over approximately 1 minute.

The coffee should be ready in 3 to 4 minutes based on your grinder and grind level.

Good luck!

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