Last season, we purchased the Pink Bourbon and Gesha from Bolney and Adèle. We tasted their Pacamara and struggled a bit to pin down its cup profile. The taste was simply strange. Intense aromas of chicken broth and aromatic herbs, with a very "umami" finish. It just didn't taste like coffee. It was a fascinating tasting experience, but I couldn't imagine anyone sitting down to drink a full cup before heading to work in the morning. 

This season, on the other hand, wow!
We find those same exotic aromas of thyme and broth, but with a foundation of fruity and floral notes and more acidity, which gives the cup a lot of structure. 

What’s most impressive is that during a blind tasting of their three cultivars alongside other Huila coffees, we were able to recognize that it was their coffee. There is something special about this place and Bolney and Adèle's technique. 

For me, it is one of those coffees that every coffee enthusiast should taste at least once. It is a wonderful experience to etch into one's memory under the "sensory lexicon" heading. 

When producing coffee, it is interesting to consider growing and processing coffee in a way that offers a diversified market selection. 

There are several ways to achieve this. One option is to focus on a disease-resistant, high-yielding cultivar and then move toward intensive, full-sun farming. From there, diversification can be achieved by modulating fermentation protocols and, when topography allows, by creating nuances in the cup profile based on altitude and plot. But often, we find that this approach leads to the appearance of over-fermentation notes in the cup (vinegar, soy sauce, cognac, etc.) and, eventually, an increasing reliance on agricultural inputs. 

And in the end, you still end up with a monocultural production system.

Furthermore, many of the varieties selected for this approach are already abundant on the market. This offers fewer opportunities for differentiation and does not allow for higher selling prices.

We fully embrace Bolney and Adèle’s approach to coffee cultivation and value creation. They made the bold and risky decision to sell 4 ha of their 7-ha farm to finance the replanting of the remaining 3 ha with three exceptional Arabica varieties. The focus is then placed on a rigorous approach to processing, with the goal of showcasing these wonderful cultivars. 

We purchased some of their coffees earlier this year and were once again blown away by this harvest. Each cultivar has a distinct character that is fully appreciated thanks to a masterfully executed, clean parchment drying process. 

Moreover, it is simply a pleasure to savor these delicious flavors and to revel in the beauty of nature and the hard, dedicated work coming together. 

I hope you enjoy it – Paul Arnephy

Producers: Don Bolney and Doña Adeleine

Farm: El Encanto

Location: Pitalito, Huila, Colombia

Species: Arabica

Cultivar: Pacamara

Process: Natural dried in parchment

Drying: Drying beds 

Altitude: 1,630m

Harvest type: Hand-picked

Importer: Minga

Green coffee moisture content at time of purchase: 10.3%

Don Bolney and Doña Adeleine fled their native region of Tolima in 2011, as the armed conflict placed excessive stress and risks on their family. Thanks to a friend, they had the opportunity to buy a 7-hectare farm in Pitalito, in exchange for the 13-hectare one they owned in Tolima. Due to security issues, land value in Tolima was significantly lower at the time than in southern Huila.

When they acquired the plantation, the 7 hectares were entirely planted with Caturra, which was devastated by leaf rust in 2015. Bolney then sold more than half of the land and replanted with Castillo. After several years of growing Castillo, they were disappointed by its low yields and poor cup quality, which led them to begin renovating the plantation with varieties better suited to the specialty coffee market.

GESHA

Half of this 3-hectare farm is planted with Gesha. Only 1,700 Gesha coffee trees are spread over 1.5 hectares, which translates to a very low planting density. Indeed, Gesha coffee trees grow to a great height and develop wide branches, which requires much more space.

PINK
BOURBON

About 0.75 hectares are planted with "Pink Bourbon," a highly prized variety, renowned for the excellent quality of its coffee—linked to its genetic heritage derived from local Ethiopian varieties—as well as for its good yields and strong resistance to adverse weather conditions and pests.

PACAMARA

The latest addition to Bolney and Adeleine's farm is Pacamara. Originating from El Salvador, this variety combines the productivity of the Pacas with the aromatic complexity and large, elephant-sized beans of the Maragogype. The Pacamara occupies about 0.5 hectares.

Filter Coffee
Ratio 1:16
15g ground coffee
240g water (between 92-99°c depending on the brewing device)

The brewing device is not very important; we use the Orea porcelain for its fast flow and design.

The most important thing is to grind fresh coffee and use low-calcium water.

Espresso

If you have professional-grade equipment, you can make a delicious espresso with this coffee.

Aim for a 1:3 ratio and enjoy!