Syrupy sweetness, and articulated acidity are the theme at light and medium roast levels, with flavor notes of honey, almond torrone, whole grain hot cakes with syrup, and bright citrus highlights. City to Full City.
The four coffees we selected for this pink bourbon lot all shared two prime characteristics that we look for from this variety: syrupy sweetness, and articulated acidity. The differences from red and yellow varieties can be subtle, and it's the aromatic honey/panela type sweetness, and an almost Kenya-like vibrance that we look for in our selections. The fragrance of the ground coffee is loaded with raw sugar smells, a hint of honey lemonade, and Earl Grey tea. The wet aroma trades delicate fragrance for more heavy-handed sweetness, butter cream frosting, notes of caramel, and toffee. The cup shows very nice citrus-like vibrance in the light roasts that is balanced out by layered sweet flavors of light honey, fluffy almond torrone, and an array of dark, unrefined sugars. City roasts are going to be light and bright, citrus elements lending to sweetly brisk accents of pink grapefruit, and lemonade sweetened with panela. They also have a whole grain aspect that, along with the sweetness, reminded me of buckwheat pancakes with syrup. I found the cup sweetness held up very nicely to darker roast levels too, with Full City roasts developing a delicious semi-sweet dark chocolate, with accents of toasted beer grain, and raisin.
This pink bourbon blend is from four different small producers in Colombia's Huila Department. These farms are less than than 10 hectares each, and planted in a mix of varieties, including Pink Bourbon. Recent genetic testing has shown a link to Ethiopian landrace types, however that doesn't necessarily mean it's not a Bourbon variant (more on the variety here). What we can say is that it shows a phenotypical resemblance to Bourbon, and the cups can be syrupy sweet, aromatic, and bright, depending on where it's grown. The farms that produced these lots are all very high altitude, reaching up to 2000 meters above sea level. The farmers belong to a coffee cooperative in Pitalito called "El Bombo", which is also the name used for a broader growing region in this part of the Andes. The name comes from a local "Bombo" tree that produces seed pods with little spikes surrounding the exterior, a weapon of choice for schoolyard shenanigans! The El Bombo cooperative ("Asombombo") works with hundreds of small coffee farmers across Colombia's southern Huila and Cauca regions.
| Region | San Augustin and Bombo, Pitalito, Huila |
|---|---|
| Processing | Wet Process (Washed) |
| Drying Method | Covered Sun-Dried |
| Arrival date | Jan 2026 |
| Lot size | 23 |
| Bag size | 70 KG |
| Packaging | GrainPro Liner |
| Farm Gate | Yes |
| Cultivar Detail | Pink Bourbon |
| Grade | Excelso 15+ |
| Appearance | .4 d/300gr, 15-17 Screen |
| Roast Recommendations | City to Full City |
| Type | Farm Gate |