Intoxicating. Dried Mango. Lavender. Jasmine. Heaven is that you?

Producer: Yenni Esperanza

Country: Colombia

Region: Cauca

Variety: Castillo

Process: Thermal Shock, Washed.

Altitude: 1730 MASL

We know you remember her name, folks - you’ve been shouting it at us ever since we sold out last year-so, without further ado, please welcome back to the stage: Yenni Esperanza!

We always knew that Yenni would be back with us as soon as we could get our hands on her electrifying experimental coffees, but what we didn’t anticipate was not being able to pick just one option! We were so excited by what we tasted when cupping, that we opted to buy two thermal shock processed coffees- one of which uses a profile exclusively created for the wonderful Cata Export- and both of which will leave you loving life and savouring every last sip.

In addition to owning and running the famed Finca El Paraiso with her brother, Diego Samuel, Yenni also manages the entire production within her all-female team and works with neighbouring female producers.

Finca El Paraiso has garnered such a strong reputation in the specialty scene thanks to the extraordinary coffees and experimental fermentation techniques produced there, and both the coffees we’ve sourced from Yenni this year are the absolute embodiment of this well-justified reputation.

It is clear that a huge contributor to Finca Paraiso’s great success is Yenni’s research, interest and dedication to experimental process, and we are so excited to once again share with you all the literal fruits of her labour.

You might find yourself getting nostalgic for last year’s Yenni, but don’t be fooled into thinking these are one and the same- this year’s choice has that same intoxicating feel but brings big chewy dried mango vibes and that lavender lift you’ll just love!

The Thermal Shock Process

The Thermal Shock process is an unusual and complex, post-harvest process method that involves using water at specific temperatures throughout various stages. This creates an incredibly unique cup profile that we’re sure is going to blow your mind!

The Process:

1. Harvesting 95% ripe cherries, 5% red cherries (semi ripe).
2. Wash the cherry with ozonated water to remove microbes.
3. 1st phase of anaerobic cherry fermentation for 48 hours in tanks with pressure relief valve at a temperature of 18°C
4. De-pulp.
5. Fermentation 2nd phase: Anaerobic mucilage for 48 hours at 21°C.
6. Things get thermal to transfer and fix those big aromas- firstly, washed in water at 40°C and then in water at 12°C
7. Controlled drying for 34 hours, with air recirculation at one temperature of 35°C and relative humidity of 25% until a moisture content between 10% and 11% is achieved.

Just prior to releasing Yenni Esperanza for you lovely lot, we took her to the Battle of the Roasteries hosted by The Bristol Loaf X Minor Figures, and we’re pretty proud to say that we took second place with the following recipe!

Espresso

17.5g in / 40g out

33 seconds

Step-by-Step

1. Remove the portafilter from the espresso machine, use a clean and dry microfibre cloth or clean and dry tea-towel to clean and dry the basket.
2. Flush the group-head with hot water.
3. Place the portafilter onto your scales, tare so that the weight reads 0g.
4. Dose the portafilter with 17.5g.
5. ‘Groom’ the coffee in the basket by tapping either side of the basket so that the grounds look evenly distributed and level/or use a distributer to ensure an even, flat bed of coffee prior to tamping.
6. Tamp the flat bed of coffee in your portafilter (do not tamp with the portafilter resting on the spouts), pushing down with even weight: making your objective for tamping consistent and even
7. Place the edge of the portafilter on your tamp mat, do not tamp with the portafilter resting on the spouts as this will cause damage to the spouts.
8. Once you are happy with your flat and even tamp, remove the tamp and wipe away (with clean hands!) any coffee grounds from the rim and spouts of the portafilter.
9. Insert the portafilter, being sure not to knock the portafilter as this can create air-pockets/an uneven coffee bed which causes channelling.
10. Once your portafilter is locked into the group-head, begin brewing immediately, stop brewing when you reach 40g out, aiming for this extraction to be completed within 33 seconds.
11. Enjoy! We’ve been mostly drinking Yenni as a cheekly lil’ piccolo at the roastery, using Minor Figures milk and living for those intoxicating peaches and cream vibes