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Colombia — William Ortiz La Cabaña Chiroso 2nd Harvest (Washed)

Tastes Like — 🍈 Melon • 🍋 Lime

DETAILS

• Producer: William Ortiz
• Farm: La Cabaña
• Region: Pitalito, Huila, Colombia
• Varietal: Chiroso
• Process: Washed
• Altitude: 1,700 MASL
• Harvest: March 2026
• Size: 250g

INTRO

The second harvest pass of William Ortiz's Chiroso from La Cabaña — a softer, more complex tropical expression than the first harvest, which scored among the highest of any Colombian coffee SEY tasted this year. Where the first harvest delivered the intensity of peak-season fruit, the second delivers a more refined and nuanced profile. In the cup: melon and lime.

THE PRODUCER

William Ortiz is a newer addition to SEY's Huila programme — this marking their second consecutive purchase from him, a sign of the confidence he has earned in a short time. Producing an exceptional lot once is challenging; doing so consecutively is even more so. At La Cabaña, William cultivates Caturra, Pink Bourbon, and Chiroso, and this harvest SEY purchased both his Pink Bourbon and Chiroso selections. A farm visit is planned for the next trip to Huila.

Chiroso is a variety grown primarily in Antioquia, genetically identified as Ethiopian Landrace. Associated with vivid tropical fruit and a naturally expressive aromatic profile, it is spreading rapidly across Colombia as its cup quality potential becomes more widely understood. SEY have been building a dedicated buying programme around Chiroso in Urrao specifically, working with exporting partner The Coffee Quest — and while Pitalito in Huila is distinct from Urrao, the variety's adaptability is proving compelling across multiple growing regions.

THE PROCESS

The Washed process at La Cabaña involves:

🍒 Hand-picking — Chiroso cherries picked at peak ripeness 💧 Flotation — Floated to further remove defects before processing ⏳ Overnight in-cherry hold — Whole cherries held overnight before de-pulping 🔧 De-pulping — Outer skin removed the following day 🧪 Dry fermentation — Dry-fermented for 36 hours 💧 Washing — Thoroughly washed after fermentation ☀️ Raised-bed drying — Dried on raised beds until moisture content reaches 10.5%

The overnight in-cherry hold combined with the 36-hour dry fermentation is the defining step — building the soft tropical and citrus complexity that defines the second harvest's profile, while the careful washing and raised-bed drying preserve the clean, refined finish that makes this lot so rewarding.

THE CUP

A soft, complex, and cleanly tropical second-harvest washed Chiroso from one of Huila's most promising newer producers — cool melon sweetness and a bright lime acidity in a refined and elegant cup that shows a different facet of La Cabaña from the first harvest's intensity. A coffee that rewards patience and attention equally.

Flavour Notes

🍈 Melon 🍋 Lime