Colombia — Los Patios Gigante Peach

Tastes Like — 🍑 Fresh Peach • 🍹 Tropical Fruit Punch • ☁️ Marshmallow • Boba Tea

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DETAILS

• Producers: Smallholder producers in La Plata
• Wet Mill: Los Patios
• Region: La Plata, Huila, Colombia
• Varietal: Castillo
• Process: Co-ferment (with peach concentrate)
• Altitude: 1600–1900 masl
• Size: 12oz / 340g

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INTRO — Innovation Meets Fruit-Forward Processing

Co-fermentation is pushing the boundaries of what's possible in specialty coffee, and this lot from Los Patios represents some of the most exciting work happening in Colombia today. By introducing commercial peach concentrate and a proprietary fermentation solution during processing, the team at Los Patios has created a coffee that's intensely aromatic and unmistakably peachy—without sacrificing clarity or balance.

This is experimental processing done right: thoughtful, controlled, and designed to enhance rather than mask the coffee's inherent characteristics. The result is a cup that's fruit-forward and creamy, with all the sweetness you'd expect from a well-executed co-ferment.

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THE PRODUCER — The Coffee Quest & Los Patios

Los Patios began in 2022 as an ambitious project by The Coffee Quest, exporters committed to supporting the entire coffee supply chain in Colombia. Originally established in Gigante but later relocated to La Plata, Los Patios now serves as both a processing facility and an R&D hub for coffee innovation in Huila.

The facility works directly with smallholder producers throughout the La Plata region, providing them with access to advanced processing techniques and helping them navigate challenges like market volatility, climate change, and inadequate infrastructure. By centralising processing and experimentation, Los Patios allows small-scale farmers to participate in premium specialty markets whilst the R&D team continuously develops new processing protocols.

This model fills a crucial gap in the Colombian coffee landscape—giving producers access to the kind of processing infrastructure and expertise that was previously only available to larger estates. The result is exceptional coffee that benefits both the farmers who grow it and the roasters and consumers who enjoy it.

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THE PROCESS — Aerobic Fermentation Meets Co-ferment Innovation

This lot undergoes a carefully orchestrated multi-stage fermentation process that begins at the farm level and continues at the Los Patios facility. Each step is designed to build complexity whilst maintaining the coffee's fundamental sweetness and clarity.

• 🍒 Peak Ripeness Selection — Smallholder farmers hand-pick only the ripest cherries
• 🔬 12-Hour Aerobic Fermentation — Whole cherries undergo initial aerobic fermentation before delivery to the mill
• ⚙️ Depulping — Cherries are pulped at Los Patios to expose the mucilage-covered parchment
• 🍑 Co-ferment Addition — Depulped coffee is combined with commercial peach concentrate and a proprietary solution developed by the Los Patios R&D team
• ⏱️ 48-Hour Fermentation — The mixture ferments for two days in controlled conditions
• 💧 Draining — Fermentation liquid is drained away before drying begins
• ☀️ Extended Drying — Coffee is spread on patios and dried for 12–16 days with constant rotation to ensure even drying

The combination of aerobic pre-fermentation and controlled co-fermentation creates layers of fruit complexity whilst the extended drying period allows the coffee to stabilise and develop its creamy body.

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THE CUP — Peach Perfection with Tropical Sweetness

This coffee announces itself before you even take a sip—the aroma is intensely peachy, reminiscent of fresh fruit on a warm summer day. In the cup, it delivers on that promise with abundant fruit character but none of the funky, over-fermented notes that can sometimes plague experimental processing.

Flavour Notes

• 🍑 Fresh Peach — juicy, aromatic, unmistakably stone fruit forward
• 🍹 Tropical Fruit Punch — vibrant, sweet, layered tropical complexity
• ☁️ Marshmallow  — silky, sweet, creamy body and texture

The finish is clean and sweet, with a creamy texture that lingers beautifully. It sips like a peach boba tea (minus the tapioca pearls)—fruit-forward, creamy, and utterly satisfying. This is co-fermentation at its best: bold and expressive, yet balanced and approachable.

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.