Trust The Process - Colombia Campo Hermoso Carbonic Honey Co-Ferment

This unique process coffee comes to us from renowned producer Edwin Noreña and his farm Finca Campo Hermos. Located in Circasia, Quindío (in the heart of the Colombian coffee growing axis), this 25-hectare farm has become a specialty coffee powerhouse.

Edwin Noreña is a fourth-generation coffee farmer, an agro-industrial engineer with graduate level studies in biotechnology, a Q grader, a Cup of Excellence judge, an award winning producer, and undoubtedly one of Colombia’s top creative leaders in specialty coffee. Known among friends as “El Alquimista” (the alchemist), Edwin brings generational knowledge to his techniques, as well as an insatiable curiosity for unique cup profiles and innovative processes.

Edwin is focused on sustainability in all aspects of production as he combines traditional knowledge with new innovative methods. He has eliminated the need for vast amounts of water in processing, instead focusing on uses for coffee's natural byproducts. For example, coffee husks (cascara) are used as organic compost and fertilizer. Currently Edwin is transitioning his coffee processing plant to operate entirely with solar energy. His commitment to eco-friendly solutions and resource optimization truly sets him apart.

This experimental honey co-ferment process involves three distinct stages of fermentation. The first two are whole cherry fermentations, each with a different level of oxygen deprivation, and the third is a parchment co-fermentation with the addition of a carefully formulated mossto mixture. Edwin explains, "Mossto is a catalyst that helps to accelerate, control and enhance chemical reactions during coffee fermentation."

For this micro lot, coffee cherries were picked at peak ripeness using a brix meter and carefully sorted for quality, ripeness, and consistency before being washed clean. For the first stage (anaerobic fermentation), the cherries were sealed in tanks and allowed to ferment away from outside oxygen for 24 hours. For the second stage (carbonic maceration), the cherries were sealed in tanks and all of the oxygen was removed before the cherries were allowed to ferment for 48 hours. One of the byproducts of coffee cherry fermentation is a concentrated sticky, sugary runoff called the mossto.

For the third stage, the cherries and mossto were removed from the tanks and separated. The cherries were depulped and returned to the tanks. The mossto was used to create a carefully formulated solution, mixed with pure glucose, dried fruit (green apples), and fruit pulp. This mixture was then added into the fermentation tank with the parchment coffee and allowed to co-ferment. After 72 hours, the coffee was moved to and spread out on raised beds to dry.

This process causes the coffee to become dramatically softer, sweeter, and more acetic. Each carefully formulated stage adds a particular bit of uniquenss to the final coffee, making the cup truly one of a kind.