Here is why I love this coffee: Colombia is the backbone of the specialty coffee industry. More high-quality coffee comes out of Colombia than probably any other country. The typical Colombian coffee can be a bit traditional (think small farm processing using a washed method and producing an 80-84 point coffee without too much effort). Colombian coffees benefit from the soil, elevation, and good farmer training by the Colombian Coffee Federation. Today, there are over 500,000 Colombian coffee growers, of which 95% farm on less than 5 hectares of land.
Here is the magic of why I love Colombian coffee: each of these farmers controls their own product. There is so much potential for quality because the coffee sector promotes individuality and entrepreneurship to stand out.
Why does Jose Hernan Salazar's coffee stand out to me? Obviously, quality… His coffees have won the prestigious Cup of Excellence in 2021, 2022, and 2023. He is passionate about quality coffee and works hard to stand out. The other is the varietal. The “Aji Bourbon” was genetically tested to prove that it’s actually an Ethiopian Landrace Variety. It was previously not found in Colombia, which makes it such a rare and interesting product and story.
Personally, I love this coffee as an everyday cup (I know it’s a bit fancy), but it’s got so much going for it.
This coffee has classic sweet notes like chocolate and caramel but also plays on more floral fruity flavors. My preferred method for brewing this coffee is Chemex. I like to decant my Chemex into a thermal carafe to keep my coffee hot for a second cup in the morning. With this coffee you will want more than one cup. It’s an easy drinker and it’s pretty without scrambling your brain with fascination on work day morning.
