Edinson Argote Yeast Inoculation

Castillo has a very different story to most of the exotic varieties Edinson grows. It was developed by Cenicafé, Colombia's national coffee research centre, and released to farmers in 2005 - a cross between Caturra and a Timor Hybrid, bred specifically to resist coffee leaf rust, the fungus that had devastated so many Colombian farms. For a while, specialty buyers were sceptical it could match the cup quality of varieties like Caturra, but that scepticism has largely faded - Castillo is now valued in its own right for its resilience and its potential for real quality in the cup.

This lot, grown at 1,850 masl at Quebraditas, is washed with yeast inoculation. Ripe cherries are hand-harvested at a minimum 80% ripeness, floated to remove anything green, overripe or dry, then oxidised in food-grade drums for 24 hours before being dry-pulped. The coffee then ferments for 48 hours below 25°C with a specific yeast, before being washed and dried for 76 hours at an average 38°C.