Coffee Drop Pilot

We’re excited you’ve decided to join us.

To kick it off, we’ve picked three incredible coffees for you to try, and we hope you like them as much as we did. We encourage you to try them side-by-side or on their own. What did you like? What did you not like? And why?

Enjoy these unique picks and tell us what you think!

Wilton Benitez Pink Bourbon

  • After being handpicked at peak ripeness, the coffee cherries are sorted for quality by both size and density. They then undergo two rounds of sterilization, first with ozonated water, and second with ultraviolet light. The coffee cherries then undergo two rounds of fermentation: first, for 52 hours of anaerobic fermentation in cherry at a temperature of 18 degrees Celsius, during which time yeast is added to the mixture. While this initial round of fermentation is underway, the mucilage is recovered so that it can be added back to the fermentation environment in the next round. The cherries are then pulped before heading into round two: anaerobic fermentation in mucilage for 48 hours, at a slightly warmer temperature of 21 degrees Celsius. After this, they are washed using a thermal shock method: first, with water at 40 degrees Celsius, and second, with water at a chilly 12 degrees Celsius. Finally (finally!), the cherries are dried for 36 hours at a variable temperature (40 degrees Celsius for the first 12 hours, and 35 degrees Celsius for the following twenty-four.

  • Wilton Benitez is the owner of an innovative coffee company in the Cauca region of Colombia called Granja El Paraiso-92. Both the company and Wilton are renowned for growing unique coffee varietals and for pioneering new methods of coffee processing in the region. But, before Wilton added "coffee pioneer" to his LinkedIn profile, he was a trained chemical engineer! He has since redirected his scientific expertise toward his lifelong passion for cultivating coffee, and processing triumphs like this one are a delicious testament to that endeavor.

  • B&W is committed to connecting people to the most interesting and approachable coffees that we can find. They strive to be more than just a quality coffee roaster - the hope to challenge ourselves and our customers to push the envelope of what specialty coffee ‘should’ be and how it should taste.

  • The municipality is located in the Cauca Basin in the valley of the Cauca River at an altitude of 1,685 metres (5,528 ft) above mean sea level. It borders Silvia in the east, Morales in the west, Caldono in the north and Cajibio in the south.

  • Like many other new or “rediscovered” arabica varieties (or even species), the exact origins of Pink Bourbon are unknown. Pink Bourbon not only stands out for its strikingly-coloured cherries, but also for its sweet and complex flavour profile.Pink Bourbon usually cups similarly to washed Ethiopians or Panamanian Geshas – with floral, pink lemonade, honeysuckle, and jasmine flavour notes, and a very elegant silky texture.

  • This cutting-edge method involves subjecting freshly harvested coffee cherries to rapid temperature changes. First, cherries are immersed in hot water, causing them to expand and crack. Next, the cherries are immediately transferred to a cold water bath, causing them to contract rapidly and loosen the mucilage layer. Finally, the beans are dried, either in the sun or using mechanical dryers, to achieve the desired moisture content.

Las Veraneras Sudan Rume

  • Samboni since 2022, Las Veraneras is located in the Peñas Blancas mountain range bordering the municipalities of Acevedo and Pitalito in the Huila region. The property sits 1500–1750 meters above sea level, and is surrounded by more than 600 hectares of forest reserve as well as the Santa Barbara stream, which is the tributary of two rural aqueducts joining the Timana river.

    Las Veraneras is planned to have more than 20 different varieties—including Sudan Rume, Mokka, Purple Caturra, Pacamara, Gesha, Bourbon and 16 others—which are processed using all of the knowledge Rodrigo and Claudia have gained after their years of experience managing farms like Monteblanco, La Loma and Las Nubes. This ambitious scale makes Las Veraneras their most expansive project yet.

    Rodrigo and Claudia continue to work to improve their coffees despite already establishing themselves as skilled and innovative producers. Pink Bourbon from their farms earned first place in 2017 and second place in 2018 at the Yara Champion competition. Then, at Roasters United 2019, they won first place with their Purple Caturra Washed, followed by placing third later on. In addition to these accolades, microlots from their farms like Monteblanco, La Loma, and Las Nubes, regularly serve as competition coffees around the world, showing their care in cultivation and expert processing execution. With Las Veraneras as the latest addition to their Aromas del Sur company, Rodrigo and Claudia hope to earn many more achievements as they continue refining and innovating their processes in order to show the world the potential of their work.

  • Hydrangea coffee is a project about light, fruit-forward, process-focused coffee and the weird and wonderful world of those who love drinking it.

  • Sudan Rume is a rare and highly coveted coffee varietal originating from Sudan. Known for its exceptional cup quality, Sudan Rume is prized for its delicate floral aroma, bright acidity, and complex flavor profile. This heirloom varietal typically produces coffees with notes of jasmine, bergamot, and stone fruit, offering a refined and elegant drinking experience. Due to its limited availability and unique flavor characteristics, Sudan Rume is sought after by coffee enthusiasts and specialty roasters alike.

  • This lot of Sudan Rume underwent Natural processing. Cherries are harvested with an average sugar content of 24°–28° Brix and with a pH between 5.6 and 5.9. The cherries are then fermented in their collection bags for 24 hours prior to being floated to remove unripe fruit and other defects. The fermented cherries are dried in direct sunlight for 5–6 days and then dried in the shade for 20–25 days to reach the ideal humidity.

Servio Botina

  • This Bourbon Rosado from Servio Tulio Botina Quinayas and his team at Finca El Cedro is one of the most dynamic Pink Bourbon lots we've encountered. The aromatics of the coffee are big with a berry-medley-mash. In the cup, there is a plethora of dark purple and red fruits with notes of pluot, strawberry, currant & cranberry. As it cools the structure goes from round and glossy to feeling firm with a citric acidity. Overall the sweetness is pleasurable and the acidity captivating.

    Servio was an award winner at the Copa de Oro this year. His work really stood out to us, veering from the popular pulpy profile that tends to take titles. It's clean, complex and simply enjoyable to drink. This is due to so many painstaking details; proper cherry selection, held in cherry for a day, pulped, fermented for a day and half and dried meticulously. The daily tending, fertilizing and irrigation work led to a full flowering and rich fruiting. This kind of quality takes years to cultivate. Servio has been working in coffee his entire life and has had his farm El Cedro for 7 years. In a recent interview he said wants to continue to improve his quality and add more trees to his operation. All this done in a most magical part of Colombia - San Agustín.

  • Flower Child is a small roasting and green buying project that is a product of years in the industry. We are procuring the finest green coffees we can find and roasting for clarity. Our approach to roasting aims to transparently showcase each coffee without adding too much or too little development; in other words, we are fully developing our light roast. We carefully roast each lot for a clear expression of harvest, terroir and varietal. We take roasting very seriously. We are perpetually analyzing, cupping and fine-tuning our approach to profiles.

    Flower Child selections are curated to exemplify the potential of coffee varietals from their respective regions. We curate for clean, vibrant and high scoring varieties. Our offerings are from some of the most advanced farmers worldwide. These farmers care, they go above and beyond, it shows in the cup. We work closely with our farmers and pay them well over 2-3x the market average, keeping our compensation to farmers high despite a fluctuating market. We pay a higher premium to support the livelihood and future development of our producing partners. The roaster & farmer dialogue has come a long way over the last decade, we are stoked get a more constructive and insightful perspective each season. The relationships we have with our producing partners have been crucial to establishing the standard of quality we offer.

  • Like many other new or “rediscovered” arabica varieties (or even species), the exact origins of Pink Bourbon are unknown. Pink Bourbon not only stands out for its strikingly-coloured cherries, but also for its sweet and complex flavour profile.Pink Bourbon usually cups similarly to washed Ethiopians or Panamanian Geshas – with floral, pink lemonade, honeysuckle, and jasmine flavour notes, and a very elegant silky texture.

  • The washed process, also known as wet or fully washed, is a method characterized by its precision and cleanliness. Coffee cherries are sorted to remove any defective fruits. The cherries undergo pulping, where the outer skin and pulp are removed, leaving behind the parchment-covered beans. The beans are then fermented in water tanks to loosen the mucilage layer before being washed and dried.