Julio Cesar Madrid is no stranger to the Black & White lineup. As director of Finca La Riviera and Finca Milan—estates with deep generational roots—Julio has committed his career to producing exceptional coffees. Alongside his business partner and processing expert, Andres Julio Quinceno, he continues to refine an approach rooted in precision, creativity, and a deep understanding of fermentation.

This particular lot began life as a concept coffee for Mathieu Theis (Café MAME, Zurich) during his 2024 World Barista Championship campaign in Busan. The pair worked closely with the Julios to develop a process as technical as it is innovative—now known as Culturing-Nitro Washed. The name alone hints at the level of experimentation behind the scenes.

Process:

Once the cherries are picked at their sweetest, they enter a 24-hour activation phase alongside fresh pineapple, peach, blackberry, and a proprietary culture blend. Fermentation begins here—with fruit and microbes creating a complex foundation.

Next comes a 48-hour oxidative rest before the cherries are de-pulped and transferred into a bioreactor, where they're reunited with the fermented pineapple and peach, along with the original cultures. After 48 hours of steady-state monitoring, fermented blackberry byproducts are introduced. From there, a final 24-hour anaerobic fermentation kicks off—with nitrogen added to shape the microbial environment.

Following fermentation, the coffee is washed and dried in stages: 10 days of sun-drying, a carefully controlled stint in a dehumidification room (targeting 11% moisture), and finally, a 30-day resting period in sealed GrainPro bags for full stabilisation.

In the Cup: 

Black & White had the rare opportunity to feature the original Sidra version of this coffee last year. When the team at La Riviera proposed creating a custom lot for this year’s release, the answer came fast—and the request came with it: make it a Gesha blend.

The result is striking. Named Sakura for its vivid cherry blossom character, this coffee builds on the complexity of last year’s release with added floral lift. The Gesha addition heightens aromatics—rose, in particular—while a blend of lychee and grape provides depth and dimension in the cup.

A showpiece of technique and terroir, this is a coffee that manages to be both wildly expressive and finely controlled.

Tasting Notes: Cherry Blossom, Rose, Lychee, Grape

Producer - Julio Madrid

What is the roast recency?

We recommend brewing with beans that are at least two weeks off roast. All beans are roasted to peak flavour at around 6-12 weeks. We have the option to either purchase standard beans (at least 2 weeks but no longer than 6 weeks off roast), or rested beans (at least 7 weeks off roast, no longer than 12 - should we have any left in stock!). For peak flavour, if you are looking to use immediately, we recommend purchasing the rested beans. If you are adding to your rotation of beans, we recommend purchasing the standard and allowing the beans to naturally rest and mature whilst you rotate through other beans.