Hydrangea Coffee Roasters - Pink Bourbon Washed Finca El Calamar

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Colombia — Gildardo López Hoyos Finca El Calamar Pink Bourbon (Washed)

Tastes Like — 🍋 Citrus • 🌿 Rosemary Flower • 🌲 Juniper

DETAILS

• Producer: Gildardo López Hoyos
• Farm: Finca El Calamar
• Region: El Carmen, Paicol, Huila, Colombia
• Varietal: Pink Bourbon
• Process: Washed (30hr Whole Cherry + 48hr Parchment Fermentation)
• Altitude: 1,950–2,000 MASL

INTRO

From Gildardo López Hoyos at Finca El Calamar on the western edge of Huila — a bright, herbaceous, and distinctly aromatic washed Pink Bourbon from one of the region's most consistent high-elevation producers. A two-stage fermentation builds sweetness and structure while keeping the cup clean and high-toned. In the cup: citrus acidity, rosemary flower aromatics, and a cool juniper finish.

THE PRODUCER

Gildardo López Hoyos produces coffee at Finca El Calamar in El Carmen, Paicol — situated on the western edge of Huila at 1,950–2,000 MASL, an elevation range that promotes slow cherry maturation and a structured, acidity-driven profile. Osito has worked with Gildardo and his sons Luis and Ivan since late 2019, with the López-Bolaños family earning recognition in Osito's local cup competitions and their Pink Bourbon lots becoming a consistent point of interest for buyers seeking expressive, high-elevation Huila coffees.

Pink Bourbon is a variety grown primarily in Colombia's Huila region, named for the pink hue of its ripe cherries and identified as Ethiopian Landrace. In this lot from Finca El Calamar, its characteristic aromatic intensity reads through a particularly herbaceous and savoury lens — rosemary flower and juniper giving the cup a distinctive cool, high-altitude character that sets it apart from the more fruit-forward Pink Bourbon expressions.

THE PROCESS

The Washed process at Finca El Calamar involves:

🍒 Hand-picking — Pink Bourbon cherries selectively harvested at peak ripeness 💧 Flotation — Floated for initial quality sorting before fermentation ⏳ Whole cherry fermentation — Cherries fermented intact for 30 hours before depulping 🔧 Depulping — Outer skin removed after the initial cherry fermentation 🧪 Parchment fermentation — Depulped beans fermented for a further 48 hours in parchment 💧 Washing — Thoroughly washed to remove all fermentation residue ☀️ Raised-bed drying — Dried on raised beds for 20–25 days

The two-stage fermentation — 30 hours in the whole cherry followed by 48 hours in parchment — is the defining step. Building complexity across two distinct phases while maintaining the clean, high-toned structure that characterises this lot, before the extended 20–25 day raised-bed drying locks in the herbaceous aromatics and cool juniper finish that make this Pink Bourbon so distinctive.

THE CUP

A bright, herbaceous, and distinctly aromatic washed Pink Bourbon from one of Huila's most consistently recognised high-elevation producers — citrus acidity up front, rosemary flower florality through the middle, and a cool juniper finish that gives this lot a savory, mountain freshness unlike most expressions of the variety. A coffee for those who want their Pink Bourbon with an edge.

Flavour Notes

🍋 Citrus 🌿 Rosemary Flower 🌲 Juniper