El Vergel Estate - (Colombia - Anaerobic natural)

PRODUCER: Elias & Shady Bayter
REGION: El vergel estate, Colombia
PROCESS: Anaerobic natural
YEAR: 2024
ELEVATION: 1500 masl
VARIETAL: Pink bourbon
RESTING TIME: 13 - 15 days from roast date
TASTING NOTES: Blackberry, ripe plum, candy apple

El Vergel farm, run by the Bayter family, began its journey in 1995 growing avocados. After a market crash in 2006, they pivoted to coffee, planting Catimore and Caturra in 2009. This sparked a passion for specialty coffee, leading to Rainforest certification in 2014 and the introduction of high-end varieties like Geisha and Java. Since 2018, they’ve focused on innovative natural processing and fermentation techniques—becoming the first Colombian farm to adopt KOJI fermentation. Today, they grow over 28 unique coffee varieties and continue pushing the boundaries of quality and experimentation.

This coffee undergoes a 20-day drying process on raised beds inside a marquesina, moving through a 3-tier system—starting at the hotter top bed and finishing at the cooler bottom. This method ensures slow, even drying while preventing over-fermentation. Once the cherries reach the ideal moisture level, they’re stabilized in GrainPro bags before milling.