Colombian Coffee Bean Flavor Characteristics | La Esperanza Farm | Bicolor Bourbon Roasting and Pour-over Recommendations

Colombia La Esperanza Bicolor Natural

Colombia La Esperanza Bicolor Natural

Flavor Notes:

The dry aroma features a strong wine aroma with passion fruit, mango and strawberry.

On the palate you meet wine aroma, passion fruit, berries, dried mango, fermented cherries, raisins and coffee cherry fruit (cascara).

The flavor is robust with a long-lasting aftertaste and rich complexity.

About La Esperanza Estate:

La Esperanza Estate owns four farms: Esperanza, Las Margaritas, Cerro Azul and Potosi.

Its farms have won the Best of Panama championship in 2008 and runner-up in 2009.

In 2012 the estate achieved an incredible feat, taking the 2nd, 3rd and 7th places in the top ten of the SCAA Coffee of the Year competition with three different products.

In the recently announced GFA (Good Food Award), La Esperanza Estate became the only winning estate from regions outside Ethiopia, Kenya and Panama.

FrontStreet Coffee Roasting Recommendations:

For this Bourbon variety, we recommend a medium-heat dehydration period during roasting. Using a standard roasting approach, set the air damper to 20% when the beans are charged. Increase heat at the browning point to enhance aroma while opening the air damper to 50%. Set the air damper to 80% at first crack, with heat adjustable based on ROR conditions by approximately 5%. We recommend roasting to the end of first crack for a medium-light roast level.

V60 Pour-Over Technique Recommendations:

Medium grind, 15 g of coffee grounds, 1:16 coffee-to-water ratio, water temperature 88-90C

1. Wet the filter paper

2. Add the coffee grounds and gently tap to level

3. Pour 30 g of water for the bloom, about 30 seconds

4. Circular pour to extract, add 100 g of water, then pause briefly

5. Slowly pour another 100 g of water in a circular motion

6. Remove the filter cup once the water has completely drained and enjoy

Other Brewing Recommendations:

French Press: Medium grind, 1:15 coffee-to-water ratio, water temperature 87-89C

Siphon: Medium-fine grind, 1:15 coffee-to-water ratio, water temperature 87-89C

FrontStreet Coffee Recommendation

La Esperanza's naturally processed Bourbon is a fruit-forward, winey cup, and if that style appeals to you, FrontStreet Coffee's Colombia Frontera Estate Sidra is worth seeking out. It is a competition-winning bean grown at 1,650-1,800 meters and processed with a double anaerobic natural method, then roasted medium-light to protect its native fruit.

Its dry aroma carries jasmine and citrus, and the cup layers passion fruit, blueberry, grape and apricot with bright, soft fruit acidity, a light spice note in the middle and a lingering cocoa sweetness at the end. It works in pour-over, espresso SOE and cold drip, with iced pour-over bringing out an especially clean, smooth grape-juice quality.

If you would rather have a fuller, lower-acid Colombian cup, FrontStreet Coffee's washed Huila is a reliable choice. Roasted medium-dark, it shows dark chocolate and nutty sweetness with moderate crema and a full body, and it suits pour-over, French press, Moka Pot and espresso machine alike.