Colombia Finca Quebraditas SL28 200g

Banana notes, coincidence? Not quite. During fermentation, esters are formed, including isoamyl acetate, which is responsible for those characteristic banana-like aromas. The variety itself plays a major role. In Kenya, SL28 is known for its high acidity, juiciness, and defined structure, but in the Colombian terroir, it softens, becoming rounder and sweeter, which translates into that slightly candy-like texture in the cup. The raspberry and strawberry sweetness, in turn, comes from the processing, which amplifies the fruit character and builds complexity while keeping the profile in check.

The variety already does a lot of the heavy lifting, but without this processing, the profile simply wouldn’t come together. Everything here revolves around controlled fermentation and working with the sugars in the fruit. Harvesting is carried out with a strong focus on ripeness, with at least 80% of the cherries fully ripe before moving forward. After flotation, the coffee undergoes a first 72-hour fermentation, followed by drying down to around 20% moisture. At that point, the process is deliberately paused, the coffee is rehydrated, and it goes through a second fermentation with selected yeasts. It is then finished with controlled drying at around 40°C and stabilised in bags. The result is a layered, intense sweetness, achieved without letting the profile drift into heavy, alcoholic territory.

Finca Quebraditas is a young project, but one built on its own terms from the start. Edinson Argote and Ángela Rojas focus on full process control and developing their own flavour language. Oporapa in Huila still sits outside the specialty mainstream, and their goal is to highlight the potential of the entire region through consistent, ground-up work. Lots like this SL28, as well as their earlier Thermal Shock releases, show just how far that can go.

This is one of those coffees that evolves in the cup. As it cools, it opens up further, revealing more fermented, deeper notes and adding even more depth to the overall profile.