From: Acevedo, Huila, Colombia
Varietal: Aji
Process: Washed
Notes: Pineapple, Green Kiwi, Epazote
Farm: The Three Coffee Farmers
125g whole coffee beans
The cherries are hand picked and floated to remove defects. The cherries are then depulped and placed in open tanks to ferment for 12 hours. The coffee is then washed and dried on sun-bed driers for 10-15 days until it reaches 11% moisture content.
This is coffee I smile while drinking and reminds me of the reason I love washed Colombia coffees. Aji is named after its fruit resemblance to “aji” or chili peppers. It is another Ethiopian landrace that has popped up in Colombia that seems to have found the perfect home. This coffee has a bright and juicy mouthfeel. Over days of tasting we have experienced notes of pineapple, green kiwi, epazote, yellow florals, lemon peel, sorrel.
About the Producer + Farm
For Marlon, coffee has always been the economic foundation of his family. At 17, he wasn’t sure what path to follow, so he enrolled in a barismo course at SENA. There, he gained knowledge in brewing, green coffee evaluation, and sensory analysis, and began to realize that his family’s farm could have a different future. From that point on, they started planting differentiated varieties such as Pink Bourbon, Geisha, and Chiroso. Now 21 years old, Marlon has been fully dedicated to the farm for the past two years. Through trial and error, he has steadily refined the processing methods and strengthened his focus on quality.
His project is called Three Coffee Farmers, a name that refers to him and his two brothers: Hemerson (24) and Pedro (23). All three live on the farm. His brothers primarily manage other crops and the day-to-day farm work, while Marlon leads fermentation processes, sample preparation, cupping, and part of the commercial strategy.
Marlon is also recognized for competing in barismo using the water from his farm. A natural spring emerges nearby, filtered through rock formations, and he noticed the attributes it brought to the cup — enhanced body and sweetness. Using this water, he has won competitions, and other baristas have since used it in championships as well, referring to it as “champions’ water.”
