Colombia Norbey Quimbayo - Pink Bourbon
We truly can’t get enough of the beautiful work Norbey Quimbayo is doing at Finca La Esmeralda in Huila, and as a testament to that, we are delighted to present our third offering from him this season: a stunning semi-washed pink bourbon—truthfully one of the very best that has come across our cupping table this year. Expect a classic, clean, effervescent pink bourbon profile in the cup with an abundance of juicy blood orange, sweet, sweet cherry, and bouquets of purple violet florals.
Norbey inherited his farm, Finca La Esmeralda, from his father nearly thirty years ago, and began his stewardship by farming mostly commodity-grade coffee; however, he was motivated by the industry-wide coffee price crashes of the early 2000s to transition his farm to one that cultivates and harvests only specialty- and exotic-grade varietals, such as caturron, papayo, castillo, sidra, and pink bourbon—which comprises this lot. Pink bourbon is a relatively uncommon varietal, first identified relatively recently, in 2013, and grown almost exclusively in Colombia. Pink bourbon is known for its potential for quality, generally represented by pleasant, citric acidity, honeyed sweetness, and strong floral presence in the cup — all qualities present in this offering. Its genetic heritage remains uncertain, although it is most likely not actually bourbon at all, but rather the descendant of an Ethiopian landrace varietal. This would certainly make sense, given that the flavor of pink bourbon is much more akin to a washed Ethiopian landrace or Panamanian geisha in its florality, than a more typical Colombian bourbon or castillo.
To maintain the integrity of the delicate flavor-balance present in this coffee, we recommend enjoying it black.
All coffee is sold whole-bean to reduce oxidization, and increase the longevity of volatile aromatic compounds.
We truly can’t get enough of the beautiful work Norbey Quimbayo is doing at Finca La Esmeralda in Huila, and as a testament to that, we are delighted to present our third offering from him this season: a stunning semi-washed pink bourbon—truthfully one of the very best that has come across our cupping table this year. Expect a classic, clean, effervescent pink bourbon profile in the cup with an abundance of juicy blood orange, sweet, sweet cherry, and bouquets of purple violet florals.
Norbey inherited his farm, Finca La Esmeralda, from his father nearly thirty years ago, and began his stewardship by farming mostly commodity-grade coffee; however, he was motivated by the industry-wide coffee price crashes of the early 2000s to transition his farm to one that cultivates and harvests only specialty- and exotic-grade varietals, such as caturron, papayo, castillo, sidra, and pink bourbon—which comprises this lot. Pink bourbon is a relatively uncommon varietal, first identified relatively recently, in 2013, and grown almost exclusively in Colombia. Pink bourbon is known for its potential for quality, generally represented by pleasant, citric acidity, honeyed sweetness, and strong floral presence in the cup — all qualities present in this offering. Its genetic heritage remains uncertain, although it is most likely not actually bourbon at all, but rather the descendant of an Ethiopian landrace varietal. This would certainly make sense, given that the flavor of pink bourbon is much more akin to a washed Ethiopian landrace or Panamanian geisha in its florality, than a more typical Colombian bourbon or castillo.
To maintain the integrity of the delicate flavor-balance present in this coffee, we recommend enjoying it black.
All coffee is sold whole-bean to reduce oxidization, and increase the longevity of volatile aromatic compounds.
We truly can’t get enough of the beautiful work Norbey Quimbayo is doing at Finca La Esmeralda in Huila, and as a testament to that, we are delighted to present our third offering from him this season: a stunning semi-washed pink bourbon—truthfully one of the very best that has come across our cupping table this year. Expect a classic, clean, effervescent pink bourbon profile in the cup with an abundance of juicy blood orange, sweet, sweet cherry, and bouquets of purple violet florals.
Norbey inherited his farm, Finca La Esmeralda, from his father nearly thirty years ago, and began his stewardship by farming mostly commodity-grade coffee; however, he was motivated by the industry-wide coffee price crashes of the early 2000s to transition his farm to one that cultivates and harvests only specialty- and exotic-grade varietals, such as caturron, papayo, castillo, sidra, and pink bourbon—which comprises this lot. Pink bourbon is a relatively uncommon varietal, first identified relatively recently, in 2013, and grown almost exclusively in Colombia. Pink bourbon is known for its potential for quality, generally represented by pleasant, citric acidity, honeyed sweetness, and strong floral presence in the cup — all qualities present in this offering. Its genetic heritage remains uncertain, although it is most likely not actually bourbon at all, but rather the descendant of an Ethiopian landrace varietal. This would certainly make sense, given that the flavor of pink bourbon is much more akin to a washed Ethiopian landrace or Panamanian geisha in its florality, than a more typical Colombian bourbon or castillo.
To maintain the integrity of the delicate flavor-balance present in this coffee, we recommend enjoying it black.
All coffee is sold whole-bean to reduce oxidization, and increase the longevity of volatile aromatic compounds.
Felipe Trujillo (L) with Norbey Quimbayo (R), Finca La Esmeralda, Norbey and his family.