Colombia — Purple Clouds
Tastes Like — 🍨 Forest Fruit Gelato • 🍦 Vanilla Yoghurt • 🍬 Brown Sugar

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DETAILS

• Producers: Catalina Gutiérrez & Pierre Fargetton, Cata Reserva
• Farm: Cata Reserva Estate
• Region: Timaná, Huila, Colombia (near Pitalito)
• Varietal: Pink Bourbon
• Process: Anaerobic Natural (72–84 hours oxidation + 36 hours anaerobic fermentation)
• Altitude: 2000 masl
• Size: 200g

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INTRO — First Lots from a New Estate

Purple Clouds represents one of the very first lots from Cata Reserva, the 30-hectare estate established by Catalina Gutiérrez and Pierre Fargetton—the founders of Cata Export. After five years building relationships with producers across Colombia, Cat and Pierre became producers themselves in 2024, acquiring this farm in Huila to deepen their understanding of coffee production and experiment with clean agricultural practices.

This Pink Bourbon anaerobic natural is produced in very limited quantities and showcases their approach to processing innovation. The coffee undergoes an extensive 72–84 hours of oxidation followed by 36 hours of anaerobic fermentation—a specialized natural method that produces a remarkably creamy texture. The cup is super creamy and indulgent: forest fruit gelato blended with vanilla yoghurt and finished with brown sugar. It's rich, playful, and unmistakably special.

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THE PRODUCER — From UK Baristas to Colombian Producers

Catalina Gutiérrez and Pierre Fargetton's journey to coffee production is unconventional. Cat, a Colombian graphic designer, worked as a barista at a London roastery where she met Pierre, a French musician with a deep love for Colombia. Their shared passion for coffee eventually led them to establish Cata Export in 2019, moving to Colombia to work directly with producers.

For five years, they built relationships with farmers—often in vulnerable areas relatively new to the specialty scene—focusing on youth-led projects, female producers, and Afro-Colombian communities. They worked hands-on with producers on fermentation protocols, processing techniques, and quality improvement. Their partnerships produced competition coffees used by baristas across Europe, and in 2020 they were honoured by Colombia's President as Best Colombian Coffee Exporter of the Year.

Cata Reserva represents the natural evolution of this work. After years of collaborating with producers, Cat and Pierre wanted to understand production from the inside—to experiment with varieties, perfect processing protocols, and engage directly with their local community. The 30-hectare farm in Timaná, Huila (near Pitalito) sits at 2,000 metres, providing ideal conditions for Pink Bourbon cultivation. Half the property is preserved as natural forest, reflecting their commitment to regenerative agriculture.

This lot is particularly significant as one of the first experimental releases from their own estate. It represents not just their sourcing expertise but their hands-on farming knowledge, combining everything they've learned working with Colombia's best producers.

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THE PROCESS — Extended Oxidation + Anaerobic Fermentation

The processing method for Purple Clouds is carefully orchestrated to develop creaminess and fruit intensity whilst maintaining cleanliness:

• 🍒 Selective Harvesting — Only peak-ripeness Pink Bourbon cherries picked
• 🌡️ 72–84 Hour Oxidation — Extended oxidation period develops enzymatic activity
• 🔬 36-Hour Anaerobic Fermentation — Sealed, oxygen-free fermentation creates distinctive flavours
• ☀️ Controlled Drying — Gradual drying at 2000 masl altitude
• ✨ Quality Monitoring — Continuous assessment throughout processing

The 72–84 hour oxidation phase is crucial and unusual. This extended period before sealing cherries for anaerobic fermentation allows initial enzymatic breakdown whilst cherries are still exposed to oxygen. Enzymes convert sugars, break down pectins, and begin flavour development. This creates precursors that will transform differently once oxygen is removed.

The 36-hour anaerobic fermentation follows—cherries sealed in tanks without oxygen. This creates a fundamentally different fermentation environment where different microbes thrive and different metabolic pathways dominate. Lactic acid bacteria flourish, producing creamy, yoghurt-like characteristics. Esters develop, creating fruit intensity. The combination of extended oxidation followed by controlled anaerobic fermentation is what creates the "remarkably creamy texture" and gelato-like quality.

This isn't traditional natural processing—it's experimental work born from Cat and Pierre's years collaborating with innovative producers. They've seen what works at farms like El Diviso and Las Flores, and they're applying those learnings to their own estate whilst pushing boundaries further.

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THE VARIETY — Pink Bourbon at High Altitude

Pink Bourbon is increasingly recognised as one of Colombia's most exciting varieties for natural processing. The variety produces cherries that ripen to a distinctive pink colour—somewhere between red and yellow—and is genetically unique. At 2,000 metres in Huila's cool climate, Pink Bourbon develops intense sweetness and complex fruit characteristics.

The variety responds beautifully to extended fermentation. Its natural sugar content provides fuel for microbial activity, whilst its genetic makeup seems predisposed towards creamy, dessert-like qualities when processed anaerobically. The "gelato" and "yoghurt" notes in this lot aren't accidents—they're expressions of what Pink Bourbon can become when grown at high altitude and processed with precision.

Cata Reserva's decision to work with Pink Bourbon for their experimental lots reflects understanding of the variety's potential. It's a variety that rewards innovation whilst remaining accessible and delicious—perfect for a new estate establishing its reputation.

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THE CUP — Creamy Indulgence

This coffee is super creamy and indulgent—those aren't casual descriptors but accurate characterisations of texture and mouthfeel. It's rich without being heavy, playful without being unserious. The forest fruit gelato character is dessert-like yet refined, whilst vanilla yoghurt adds lactic creaminess and brown sugar provides caramel sweetness.

Flavour Notes

• 🍨 Forest Fruit Gelato — creamy, frozen dessert quality with mixed berry character
• 🍦 Vanilla Yoghurt — lactic creaminess with vanilla sweetness
• 🍬 Brown Sugar — caramel-like sweetness providing depth

Forest fruit gelato dominates—this is the kind of note that makes specialty coffee exciting. It's not just "berries" but specifically the creamy, frozen, indulgent quality of gelato made from forest fruits. Think blackberry, raspberry, perhaps blueberry, but in a form that's rich and dessert-like rather than bright and acidic. Vanilla yoghurt adds crucial creaminess—there's a lactic, cultured quality combined with vanilla sweetness that creates genuine yoghurt character. This comes from the anaerobic fermentation producing lactic acid and specific esters. Brown sugar rounds everything out with caramel-like sweetness that's deep rather than sharp, providing structure and preventing the cup from becoming one-dimensionally fruity.

The body is notably creamy—there's viscosity and coating that comes from both the Pink Bourbon genetics and the extended fermentation. The texture is silky, almost velvety. The acidity is present but integrated, providing structure without cutting through the creaminess. The finish is long and indulgent, with those gelato and yoghurt notes lingering alongside brown sugar richness.

As filter coffee, expect a cup that's fruit-forward yet creamy, intense yet balanced. The forest fruit character shines brightest, especially as the coffee cools, whilst the vanilla yoghurt quality creates complexity and interest. The brown sugar sweetness means this coffee needs minimal intervention—it's delicious on its own.

Purple Clouds represents an exciting milestone for Cata Export and Cata Reserva. This is coffee from producers who've spent years learning from Colombia's best, now applying that knowledge to their own estate with remarkable results. It's experimental processing executed with precision—creamy, indulgent, and distinctly special.