Floriberto Arena - Pink Bourbon

PRODUCER: FLORIBERTO ARENA, LA VIRGINIA

VARIETAL: PINK BOURBON

PROCESSING: WASHED

COUNTRY: COLOMBIA

WE TASTE: CANTALOUPE, GOLDEN RAISIN, ROSE, LEMON ZEST

In the coffee world, “Bourbon” doesn’t refer to the whiskey, but instead to a variety of coffee plant. We find Red and Yellow Bourbon commonly among Latin American farmers, but Pink Bourbon is somewhat of an anomaly. This varietal is a mutation or hybrid of both Yellow and Red Bourbon and exemplifies some taste characteristics quite foreign to the typical Bourbon taste profile. While Pink Bourbon is a relatively hardy plant that is very resistant to Rust and seasonal variability, it is particularly difficult to not cross-pollinate. The recessive gene in Pink Bourbon is easily overwhelmed by the Red or Yellow traits and prevents the development of pink coffee cherries. Pink Bourbon is highly sought after for its florality, tropical fruit, and complex flavor profile.

This particular Pink Bourbon comes to us from Floriberto Arena. Floriberto has been a coffee farmer since he was a child. He used to live in the south of Huila, Colombia, but a few years ago he moved to La Argentina. He is a dad to four children, is motivated to keep learning, make coffee farming exciting, and make the most of his production in order to provide a better living for his children. He’s known in the region for his exotic varieties such as geishas, red, pink and yellow bourbons. This particular lot is fermented in its cherries for 24 hours before it is depulped and fermented again for 60 hours, then taken from the tanks and laid out on a shaded patio to dry. This is Floriberto’s first Pink Bourbon lot to arrive in the US and we cannot wait to share it with you.