Colombia — Daniel Ortega Finca Buenos Aires Pink Bourbon (Washed)

Tastes Like — 🍋 Lemon Tea • 🌰 Almond • 🌸 White Florals

DETAILS

• Producer: Daniel Ortega
• Farm: Finca Buenos Aires
• Region: La Muralla, San Agustín, Huila, Colombia
• Varietal: Pink Bourbon
• Process: Washed
• Altitude: 1,850 MASL
• Size: 250g

INTRO

A first-time feature from Daniel Ortega at Finca Buenos Aires — a producer September Coffee have had close ties to through his family and local community in the La Muralla region and the Monkaaba group. This washed Pink Bourbon is a beautifully delicate and complex cup: round-bodied, well-balanced, and quietly expressive. In the cup: lemon tea, almond sweetness, and white florals in the finish.

THE PRODUCER

Daniel Ortega is a lifelong coffee producer from La Muralla, San Agustín — one of the first in his area to dedicate his life to coffee, and still producing exceptional lots at 72 years old. He began his farming career with Caturra, but after leaf rust disease affected his plants significantly, made the decisive choice to replant the entire farm in 2018 with Pink Bourbon and Tabi — a commitment to quality and resilience that is now fully bearing fruit.

La Muralla sits in the highlands of San Agustín, Huila — a region celebrated for its volcanic soils, distinct mountain microclimate, and the quality of the Pink Bourbon lots that consistently emerge from its most dedicated producers. At 1,850 MASL, slow cherry development and cool temperatures build the delicate complexity and clean structure that define this lot.

Pink Bourbon is a variety grown primarily in Huila, now identified as Ethiopian Landrace and belonging to the Core Ethiopia group alongside Gesha, Chiroso, Sidra, and Aji. Prized for its bright, sweet, and aromatic profiles, it thrives in the volcanic soils and cool conditions of San Agustín — and in Daniel's hands, after six years of careful cultivation since the replanting, it delivers a cup of genuine refinement.

THE PROCESS

The Washed process at Finca Buenos Aires involves:

🍒 Hand-picking — Pink Bourbon cherries collected every fifteen days at peak ripeness ⏳ 24-hour cherry fermentation — Whole cherries fermented for 24 hours before de-pulping 🔧 De-pulping — Outer skin removed the following day 🧪 22-hour dry fermentation — Depulped beans left to dry-ferment without any mucilage for a further 22 hours 💧 Rinsing — Parchment rinsed after fermentation to remove all residue ☀️ Solar bed drying — Dried on solar beds for approximately 15 days

The two-stage fermentation — 24 hours in the whole cherry followed by 22 hours dry after de-pulping — is the defining step. Building complexity across two distinct phases while maintaining the clean, delicate structure that defines this Pink Bourbon, before the solar bed drying preserves the round body and lemon tea brightness that carry through to the finish.

THE CUP

A delicate, well-balanced, and quietly expressive washed Pink Bourbon from one of La Muralla's most experienced and committed producers — lemon tea brightness, a creamy almond sweetness, and a delicate white floral finish in a light, round, and thoroughly elegant cup. A long overdue first chapter from Daniel Ortega, and a very fine one.

Flavour Notes

🍋 Lemon Tea 🌰 Almond 🌸 White Florals