Orange Bourbon - CM Washed - Finca El Mirador

Origin

• 🇨🇴 Colombia· Huila

Tasting notes

Character

• Bright
  55
• Experimental
  50
• Clean
  45
• Funky
  40

Tastes Like: Key Lime Pie, Guava, Basil Blossom Origin: Finca El Mirador, Huila, Colombia VarietyVariety (cultivar)The botanical subtype of the coffee plant — Gesha, Bourbon, SL28 — analogous to grape varieties in wine. A major driver of cup character alongside origin and process.: Orange BourbonBourbonOne of the two foundational arabica varieties (with Typica), named after Île Bourbon (Réunion). Sweet, balanced, caramel-leaning; parent of countless modern cultivars. Producer: Elkin Ferney Guzman Vargas Elevation: 1,550–1,750 masl Process: Carbonic MacerationAnaerobic fermentationCherries or depulped seeds ferment in sealed, oxygen-free tanks. Produces intense, unusual flavors — cinnamon, bubblegum, boozy fruit — that divide opinion. WashedWashed processThe fruit is removed from the seed before drying, usually with fermentation and a water rinse. Tends to give clean, transparent cups where origin character shows clearly. Elkin Guzmán, the owner of El Mirador, has been immersed in coffee since birth. His family has long been involved in various aspects of the coffee industry—from cultivation to trading and retail. Together, they have celebrated over 70 years in coffee, including more than 12 years dedicated to researching post-harvest processing techniques. This extensive experience has led Elkin to apply a range of processing methods tailored to each specific lot, including Coffee Maceration, LacticFunky / lacticTasting language for deliberate fermentation flavor: yogurt-like tang (lactic), winey or boozy notes, overripe fruit. A feature in experimental lots, a defect in classic ones. and Acetic NaturalNatural processThe whole cherry is dried with the fruit still on the seed. Gives heavier body and big fruit flavors — think berries and wine — sometimes with a fermenty edge. processes, and Natural Hydro HoneyHoney processThe skin is removed but some sticky fruit mucilage is left on during drying. Lands between washed and natural: more sweetness and body than washed, cleaner than natural.. Orange Bourbon is a natural mutation of the traditional Bourbon variety, distinguished by its vibrant orange-hued cherries when fully ripe. Known for its elegant acidityAcidityThe bright, lively, fruit-like sensation in coffee — praise, not a flaw. Citric sparkle, malic apple-crispness, tartaric wine notes; light roasts preserve more of it. and layered sweetness, this rare cultivar offers a distinctive cup profile that shines with careful processing. At El Mirador, the team applied a refined Carbonic Maceration Washed method to highlight the unique attributes of this variety. The process begins with harvesting cherries at peak ripeness, not too underripe or overripe. The cherries are first floated in water to remove hollow defects, then hand-sorted to further remove any overripe fruit. Next, the whole cherries undergo a 60–96 hour fermentation in sealed plastic tubs. After this, they are pulped and returned to the same tubs along with the juice from the initial fermentation, also referred to as mosto— which is rich in sugars and native microorganisms. This helps initiates or kickstart the second fermentation phase, which occurs in a sealed environment that traps CO₂, creating the conditions for carbonic maceration. Over 80–120 hours, the microorganisms break down the mucilage’s sugar chains, enhancing complexity and clarity. The coffee is then fully washed and slow-dried for 18–25 days, allow