Strawberry Shortcake - Cofermented

A bold, fruit-forward coffee blend built around a standout strawberry co-fermented Pink Bourbon from Jairo Arcila’s Santa Mónica farm in Armenia, Quindío, Colombia. This experimental lot brings notes of fresh strawberry, vanilla ice-cream and shortcrust pastry, with a sweet, creamy body and a vibrant dessert-like finish.

For this lot, only the ripest coffee cherries were harvested before being transported to La Pradera processing centre in GrainPro bags or specialised tanks to preserve their freshness. Once received, the cherries were floated in water tanks to remove low-density beans and foreign material. The water used during this stage was recycled for additional batches, then filtered through specialised tanks and irrigated into vetiver grass beds, helping ensure no contaminated water was discharged.

The cherries then underwent a 72-hour dry anaerobic fermentation with the pulp left on. During this stage, fresh strawberry was introduced into the fermentation tanks, allowing the coffee cherries and strawberry to ferment together. This process helps build the coffee’s sweet, fruity character while adding depth, body and complexity.

After fermentation, the cherries were pulped to remove the outer skin while leaving the mucilage intact. This sticky, honey-like layer is what gives the Honey process its name and contributes to the coffee’s sweetness and round body. The pulped cherries were then dried on raised beds at the Elbas drying station, carefully monitored and turned regularly to ensure even drying and prevent over-fermentation or mould. Drying continued until the coffee reached an ideal moisture content of 9.5–11%.

Blended with El Salvador, this coffee is designed to balance the playful strawberry character with structure, depth and everyday drinkability. Expect a cup that feels juicy, creamy and dessert-like, with a profile reminiscent of fresh strawberry, vanilla ice-cream and buttery shortcrust pastry.