Aponte Honey Process

Cristian Martinez's honey-processed coffee comes from his Vista Hermosa farm, sitting at 1,980 meters above sea level, in the misty paramo region around Aponte, just east of Buesaco town.

The 4-hectare farm is mostly planted in Caturra and Variedad Colombia, the latter being a hybrid known for high yield and disease resistance. The honey processing method involves mechanically removing the coffee cherry and some of the fruit, leaving a thin layer of fruit to dry on raised beds, which can take more than 2 weeks.

This prolonged exposure to the fruit causes a very subtle and slow fermentation to occur, often imparting fruit-like flavors in the coffee itself. The Aponte Wild Honey shows wild fruit characteristics in the cup, with flavors of baked apple and tamarind, and a note of cinnamon and raw sugars. It's a heavy-handed coffee with winey fruits and rustic sweetness, featuring flavors of prune juice, apples cooked with cinnamon, plum wine, and stewed cherries, with some skin bittering.

The acidity level is well-balanced and provides enough backbone for the complex flavors, and there's lingering cocoa bittering in the aftertaste.