Colombia Sebastian Ramirez - Yeast Inoculated Washed Pink Bourbon

COLOMBIA SEBASTIAN RAMIREZ - YEAST INOCULATED WASHED PINK BOURBON TROPICAL RED FRUITS, CITRUS CANDY, SWEET TARTS, EXPRESSIVE Our first coffee from Sebastian Ramirez, and a producer we've wanted to work with for a while. Sebastian and his team at El Placer have become known for pushing fermentation and processing forward in Colombia, but what we love about this coffee is actually how restrained it feels. It's floral, intensely sweet, and fruit-forward without sacrificing the clean, elegant character that makes Pink Bourbon so special. The cup reminds us of tropical red fruits, citrus candies, Sweet Tarts, and apple sugar—bright and playful up front, with a beautifully clean finish. BEAN DETAILS: ORIGIN: Quindío, Colombia PRODUCER: Sebastian Ramirez ELEVATION: 1,860–2,000 masl VARIETY: Pink Bourbon PROCESS: The coffee is then depulped and placed into 200-liter tanks, where it undergoes a 36-hour anaerobic fermentation with an inoculated yeast culture at a controlled temperature. TASTING NOTES: tropical red fruit, citrus candy, sweet tarts, apple sugar ROAST TYPE: Light Farm Level About Sebastian Ramirez Sebastian Ramirez is the producer behind El Placer, one of the better-known names in Colombia's modern specialty coffee scene. Pink Bourbon—or Bourbon Rosado—is one of Sebastian's favorite varieties, and this washed process serves as something of a foundation for the rest of his work. Rather than trying to push the coffee toward maximum fermentation character, the goal here is balance. Sebastian uses the floral and sweet qualities revealed through this process to understand the coffee itself, then uses that knowledge to guide the more experimental processes throughout the El Placer portfolio. We love that idea: start with the coffee, then decide what the process should do. About El Placer El Placer is a little different from a traditional coffee farm. In the 1980s, the property was a large coffee estate in Quindío, but today roughly half of its original coffee production remains active. The operation has increasingly evolved into a specialized processing facility, with Sebastian overseeing both coffee grown on the property and carefully selected cherries sourced from other producers. Some of his specialty varieties—including Geisha and portions of his Pink Bourbon production—are sourced from Huila, then brought into the El Placer system where Sebastian develops the fermentation and processing protocols that ultimately shape each coffee. The property sits between 1,860 and 2,000 meters and spans approximately 24 hectares, with a team of around 10 people expanding to roughly 50 during harvest. Sebastian has also recently acquired another farm where he plans to focus on more unusual varieties that can be difficult to cultivate in Quindío, continuing to expand an already pretty remarkable collection of genetics. The Process The El Placer team begins by hand-picking the ripest cherries and carefully sorting them for quality and density. The coffee is then depulped and placed into 200-liter tanks, where it undergoes a 36-hour anaerobic fermentation with an inoculated yeast culture at a controlled temperature. After fermentation, the coffee is rinsed and moved to shaded open patios, where it is dried for approximately five days. Once drying is complete, the coffee is stabilized in a cool, dark environment until it's ready for export. The result is a beautiful expression of Pink Bourbon: floral and fruit-driven, but exceptionally clean and balanced. Bean Details ORIGIN: Quindío, Colombia PRODUCER: Sebastian Ramirez FARM / PROCESSING FACILITY: El Placer ELEVATION: 1,860–2,000 masl SIZE: 24 hectares VARIETY: Pink Bourbon / Bourbon Rosado PROCESS: Yeast Inoculated Washed FERMENTATION: 36-hour anaerobic fermentation DRYING: Shaded patios, approximately 5 days ROAST TYPE: Light