Colombia — Daniel Hernandez El Tigre Chiroso (Washed)

Tastes Like — 🍎 Pomegranate • 🍏 Green Apple • 🌸 Jasmine

DETAILS

• Producer: Daniel Hernandez
• Farm: El Tigre
• Region: Urrao, Antioquia, Colombia
• Varietal: Chiroso
• Process: Washed
• Altitude: 2,000+ MASL

INTRO

From Daniel Hernandez's El Tigre farm on the outskirts of Urrao — a washed Chiroso that leapt off the cupping table with screaming florals and ripe, fresh fruit from the first sip. Clean, crisp, and beautifully layered. In the cup: pomegranate, elderflower, and rose when hot, brightening into green apple crispness with jasmine and raw honey as it cools.

THE PRODUCER

Daniel Hernandez farms El Tigre at just over 2,000 MASL on the outskirts of Urrao — one of Colombia's most exciting emerging specialty coffee regions, where Chiroso has become the defining variety of a new wave of exceptional lots. Alongside coffee, Daniel and his sister Natalie grow avocados and other fruits on the farm, and Daniel has invested steadily in improving his processing infrastructure, installing raised drying beds a few years ago and dialling in his cherry selection and fermentation protocols with increasing precision.

Beyond his own farm, Daniel works actively through Colombia's Coffee Excellence Program (PEC) to help neighbouring producers raise their cup quality and tighten their farming and processing practices — a commitment to open collaboration and community improvement that is as much a part of his story as the exceptional coffees he produces.

Chiroso is a variety grown primarily in Antioquia, genetically identified as Ethiopian Landrace. Associated with vibrant tropical fruit notes and a naturally expressive aromatic profile, it responds exceptionally well to clean, restrained washed processing — which is precisely the approach Daniel takes here.

THE PROCESS

The Washed process at El Tigre involves:

🍒 Hand-picking — Cherries carefully selected at peak ripeness before processing 🔧 Depulping — Outer skin removed before fermentation 🧪 Washed fermentation — Fermented for just 24 hours — a deliberately short window designed to keep the cup clean and crisp 💧 Washing — Thoroughly washed after fermentation to remove all residue ☀️ Raised-bed drying — Dried on raised beds to optimal moisture content

The 24-hour fermentation is the defining step — deliberately brief, it builds just enough structure and complexity to complement the Chiroso's inherent florality and fruit character without adding fermentation influence, producing the clean, layered, and brilliantly expressive cup that defines this lot.

THE CUP

A stunning and multi-layered washed Chiroso from one of Urrao's most community-minded producers — pomegranate depth, elderflower and rose florality up front, brightening as it cools into crisp green apple and a delicate jasmine and raw honey finish. A coffee that announces itself immediately and rewards attention throughout.

Flavour Notes

🍎 Pomegranate 🍏 Green Apple 🌸 Jasmine