COLUMBUS, Ohio, USA — A new experimental micro lot of Colombia Pink Bourbon EF2 coffee has landed at award-winning Columbus roaster Crimson Cup Coffee & Tea. Only 25 boxes of the limited coffee will be available.
“We’re excited to work with farmers and processors who are pushing the boundaries of coffee to bring unique taste profiles to your cup,” said Founder and President Greg Ubert. “As a roaster, we believe it’s important to support the diligence and expertise required to process a coffee of this quality.”
The story of this rare coffee begins in Colombia’s QuindÃo Department. Famed for the quality of its coffee plantations, the department hosts mountain landscapes covered in tropical rainforest. Remnants of ancient volcanic eruptions enrich the soil.
At heights of 1,700 to 1,850 meters above sea level, progressive farmer Sebastian Gómez grows rare coffees with exceptional flavors on his Finca La Divisa.
This exclusive micro lot consists of his hand-picked Pink Bourbon coffee. A hybrid of yellow and red Bourbon coffee trees, Pink Bourbon yields ripe cherries with a distinctive pink color.
“Pink Bourbon has a high glucose content, resulting in a sweet cup, silky body and luscious mouthfeel,” said Sustainability Director Brandon Bir.
A licensed Coffee Q Grader, Bir and the Crimson Cup coffee buying team travel over 100,000 miles in an average year to source coffees and forge relationships with coffee growers.
“Everything starts at origin, where the time we spend with small-plot farmers and communities yields remarkable coffees,” he said.
Crimson Cup discovered Colombia Pink Bourbon EF2 through Bir’s relationship with Felipe Arcila of Cofinet.
“After visiting his farm and meeting in Armenia and Bogata, we developed a friendship that grew over the span of three years, finally resulting in our purchase of this rare micro lot,” he said.
As fourth-generation coffee growers and exporters, the Arcilas of Cofinet specialize in alternative fermentation processes that create exotic coffee varieties and unique profiles.
Picked and transported the same day to Cofinet’s La Pradera processing station, this lot of Finca La Divisa cherries was exposed to a dry anaerobic fermentation of 24 hours.
Later, the cherries were put into grain pro bags for 60 hours and submerged inside a water tank to keep temperatures below 22 degrees Celsius. Finally, the coffee dried on raised beds below 35 degrees Celsius until ideal moisture content was achieved.
Given a light roast at the Crimson Cup Innovation Lab in Columbus, Colombia Pink Bourbon EF2 yields tasting notes of spice, brown sugar and tropical fruit.
“I highly recommend this coffee for anyone who’s ready to indulge in an exceptional cup,” Bir said. “To bring out the subtle tasting notes, use a hand-pour brewing method like the Kalita Wave.”
For each hand pour, brew 24 grams of medium-ground coffee with 400 grams of filtered water, including 40 grams of bloom water.
Consumers can order a 12-ounce box for $45, with free shipping, on the Crimson and Crimson Cup websites.
The coffee’s cost stems from its rarity, risks of experimentation, transportation costs and the many hands that labor to produce this one-of-a-kind cup.
While supplies last, Crimson Cup will roast Colombia Pink Bourbon EF2 in small batches every Tuesday. Orders placed by Monday at midnight ship for free on Wednesday.
For over a decade, Crimson Cup’s coffee team has been trekking into remote mountains to forge relationships with small coffee farmers.
Ubert said the company’s relationships, quality and awards supply a platform to highlight the arduous work of coffee farmers.
“Few consumers understand how hard it is for farmers to grow, process and market the coffee in their cup. By sharing their stories, we invite customers to join us in kindling growth and prosperity among farming communities.”
“Every cup of Crimson coffee you drink contributes to what we call The Ripple Effect: a focus on good that ripples outward through our community to affect the lives of our team, partners and community for years and generations to come. “
