Colombia Edward Sandoval Chiroso

We were lucky enough to procure another Chiroso lot this year from Edward Sandoval, in Tolima. The variety "Chiroso" is prized for aromatic flavors of fruit, tea, and even florals. Chiroso's coming out was a sort of rediscovery at the Colombia COE in 2012, when a farmer from Urrao won 1st place with it. Initially thought to be regressions of Bourbon and Caturra, a scientific journal article recently presented the findings of new research that linked its origin to Ethiopian landraces. This would certainly explain their flavor profile! here are two types known at this time, what they call locally "Bourbon" Chiroso, and "Caturra" Chiroso, the former being much taller in stature. The farmer who produced this lot, Edward Sandoval, worked for many years as a field technician for the Federacion Nacional de Cafeteros ("FNC"). When he broke away from the FNC and set out to start his own farm, Finca Canta Ranas, he decided to plant varieties that were not promoted by his previous employer due to their need for a higher degree of management, but that are capable of producing a higher value cup, like Chiroso, Wush Wush, Gesha and Moka (we bought his Moka a few years back). Edward's farm is small, just 3 hectares, and stretches up to about 1850 meters above sea level. See more photos of the farm, here.