Colombia, Ají Natural

Expect notes of Strawberry, Caramelised Peach, Grape

Ají is a rare coffee variety not often seen with an interesting story. Named Ají by José Herman Salazar, who stumbled upon it on his farm, La Guaca, in Pitalito, Colombia. José noticed a distinct sweet red pepper scent wafting through the air during the cherry harvest from some of his coffee trees that looked slightly different. Intrigued, he decided to isolate these trees and process coffee exclusively from them. José submitted it to the Colombia Cup of Excellence and secured 6th place. This achievement is no small feat from over a thousand submissions. While José's coffee didn't clinch the top spot, it became a standout from the competition, the organisers were astounded by the taste profile of this coffee and had never encountered the Ají variety before. Intrigued, they decided to conduct genetic testing to confirm its uniqueness. The results revealed that this variety was a first-generation offspring from the wild coffee forests of Ethiopia, similar to Gesha.

This is now the third harvest in a row that we have purchased from Mr Salazar, will will bring back his usual anerobic washed he is famed for however this special lot has actually been processed naturally. This gives the coffee a more intense, jammy texture with some tropical tasting fruit. Think Blackcurrant Jam, Peach and Red Grapes, truly delicious.