Dark Roast — Finca La Piragua - Natural Red Stripe Bourbon | Colombia

Moonwake x SWORKS

Colombia — Alexander Vargas Finca La Piragua Red Stripe Bourbon (Anaerobic Natural) — Dark Roast

Tastes Like — 🍫 Chocolate Truffle • 🍒 Cherry • 🍊 Grand Marnier

DETAILS

• Producer: Alexander Vargas
• Farm: Finca La Piragua
• Region: Acevedo, Huila, Colombia
• Varietal: Red Stripe Bourbon
• Process: Anaerobic Natural
• Altitude: 1,600–1,800 MASL
• Size: 227g / 8oz

INTRO

Finca La Piragua's Natural Red Stripe Bourbon is a collaboration between Moonwake and SWORKSDESIGN, showcasing a single coffee at two extreme roast levels. For the dark roast expression, Moonwake pushed further than they have before — building fuller body and a cocoa-like richness whilst holding onto the core cherry and winey character of this exceptional anaerobic natural lot. The result is indulgent and structured, with chocolate truffle leading into ripe cherry and the orange liqueur complexity of Grand Marnier.

This lot was fermented in sealed barrels for 60 hours — an extended anaerobic fermentation that concentrates fruit character and enhances the winey, creamy texture that makes this coffee such a compelling dark roast.

THE PRODUCER

Alexander Vargas began working in coffee at 15, following his parents into the craft, before shifting his focus to specialty production in his early twenties. Over more than 20 years, he has refined his approach at Finca La Piragua in Acevedo, Huila — experimenting with varieties like Geisha, Pink Bourbon, and Red Stripe Bourbon, and advanced processes including anaerobic fermentation, earning multiple Cup of Excellence nominations along the way.

He maintains a cupping laboratory on the farm to evaluate his own lots before sale — an unusual step for a Colombian producer — and has diversified his farm with crops like dragon fruit to support year-round productivity. Deeply committed to both tradition and innovation, Alexander also mentors younger producers in the region and continues to push quality forward with every harvest.

THE PROCESS

The Anaerobic Natural process at Finca La Piragua involves:

• 🍒 Selective Harvest — Only ripe, uniformly coloured cherries hand-picked
• 🧪 Sealed Barrel Fermentation — Whole cherries fermented in airtight barrels for 60 hours, concentrating fruit sugars and building deep, winey complexity
• ☀️ Shed Drying — Processed as a natural and dried in drying sheds for 18 days, ensuring precise and even moisture reduction
• ✅ Sorting & Classification — Evaluated through the on-farm laboratory before export

At the darker roast level, the 60-hour barrel fermentation translates into deep chocolate richness and cherry liqueur intensity — a bold expression of what this anaerobic natural process can achieve.

THE CUP

The dark roast profile of La Piragua's Red Stripe Bourbon is full-bodied and opulent. Rich chocolate truffle leads the cup, followed by ripe, jammy cherry and the orange liqueur warmth of Grand Marnier. A naturally creamy texture carries these flavours with weight and elegance. Recommended rest: 2–3 weeks from roast date.

Flavour Notes

• 🍫 Chocolate Truffle
• 🍒 Cherry
• 🍊 Grand Marnier