Level - Competition

JHOAN VERGARA — Washed Bourbon Ají

Region: Acevedo, Huila, Colombia
Altitude: 1750 MASL
Variety: Bourbon Ají
Process: Washed (Experimental, Controlled Fermentation)
Harvest: 2025

Tastes Like — muscat grape 🍇 • cocoa butter 🤎 • lemon verbena 🌿

MEET THE PRODUCER

Finca Las Flores was founded in 1990 by Edilberto Vergara and Nubia Ayure, who began with just two hectares in the lush hills of Acevedo, Huila. Their son, Jhoan Vergara, grew up immersed in the rhythms of farm life and would eventually propel the family name into international recognition—most notably after winning Master of Coffee 2019 with his now-famous Pink Bourbon.

Jhoan represents the new generation of Colombian coffee producers: scientifically curious, technically skilled, and deeply devoted to pushing sensory boundaries. Under his leadership, Las Flores has expanded into exotic cultivars such as Sidra, Java, and Bourbon Ají, the latter thriving at 1,750 masl. The farm has become renowned for high-precision fermentations, intentional microbial management, and thermal-shock techniques designed to amplify aromatic expression.

He approaches coffee as both a science and an art, and the results show in the cup.

TRUST THE PROCESS

This washed Bourbon Ají undergoes a highly controlled experimental protocol engineered to maximize sweetness, texture, and aromatic complexity:

• 12 hours of cherry oxidation prior to depulping to intensify fruit precursors.

• Thermal shock at 50°C immediately after depulping to “fix” aromatic compounds.

• 80-hour fermentation in sealed plastic tanks with inoculated, cultivated bacteria, ensuring consistency and targeted flavor development.

• Slow drying in mechanical dehumidifiers for 60 hours until reaching 10% moisture, preserving clarity and structural sweetness.

This combination of scientific precision and varietal uniqueness yields a cup that is vibrant, layered, and unmistakably expressive.

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 6-10 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 10). 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.