Rodrigo Sanchez - Passion Fruit Co-Ferment Purple Caturra

MEET THE PRODUCER

Rodrigo Sánchez Valencia is a third-generation coffee farmer—but unlike his father and grandfather, Rodrigo grew up seeing coffee as more than just an agricultural product. For decades, his family cultivated coffee without ever thinking about its cup profile or how farming and processing could shape flavor. That changed dramatically in 2002, when Rodrigo participated in a local program designed to teach young coffee producers about cupping, competitions, and quality scoring.

This experience transformed his understanding of coffee and set him on a lifelong mission to elevate quality at Finca Monteblanco, his family’s farm in La Tacora, San Adolfo, Huila. Today, Rodrigo and his family are recognized as leaders in innovation and precision, pioneering experimental fermentation techniques that merge scientific curiosity with generational wisdom.

TRUST THE PROCESS

Get ready for a bit of coffee science. This passionfruit co-fermented Purple Caturra is one of Rodrigo’s most fascinating and carefully controlled projects.

The process starts with a 190-hour fermentation—not of the coffee cherries, but of a “mother culture” created on the farm, cultivated from micro-organisms found on Rodrigo’s own coffee trees. During this stage, 80 liters of culture are fed a mixture of orange juice, mangoes, and molasses, which enhances sugar content and boosts microbial activity.

Once the culture is ready, ripe coffee cherries are harvested and floated to remove any defects. The cherries are pulped and then sealed inside 200-liter anaerobic tanks, where they ferment alongside that mango-fueled mother culture for 180 hours. After fermentation, the coffee is dried in direct sunlight for 2–3 days, then moved to shaded canopies for a 15–18 day slow dry until moisture stabilizes at 10–11%.

This meticulous process allows for controlled flavor development—balancing expressive tropical fruit sweetness with cleanliness and structure.

TAKE A SIP

Co-fermented coffees often lean toward the wild and funky, but Rodrigo’s version is something entirely different—refined, elegant, and remarkably balanced. Because the fermentation relies on the yeast that consumed the fruit, rather than the fruit pulp itself, the final cup is clean, layered, and nuanced.

In the cup, you’ll find the bright tropical vibrancy of passionfruit candy and mango lassi, followed by jammy strawberry notes that add a comforting sweetness. As it cools, a creamy texture emerges, reminiscent of fruity milk tea, tying everything together in a smooth, indulgent finish.

This is a masterclass in controlled fermentation—scientific precision meeting sensory poetry.

Origin: La Tacora, San Adolfo, Huila, Colombia
Producer: Rodrigo Sánchez
Farm: Finca Monteblanco
Process: Co-Ferment
Variety: Purple Caturra
Elevation: 1730 MASL

Tastes Like: 🍬 Passionfruit Candy · 🥭 Mango Lassi · 🍓 Strawberry Jam · 🫖 Milk Tea

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.