Colombia Yirgacheffe Variety — Playon de Alajuela

A delicate and expressive washed Colombian coffee with floral aromatics, tea-like structure, and bright stone fruit acidity.

Origin: Santa Bárbara, Antioquia, Colombia
Farm: Playon de Alajuela
Producer: Juan Guillermo Luna Gomez
Roast: Light
Variety: Yirgacheffe Variety
Process: Washed
Flavor: Peach, chamomile, green tea
Body: Silky, tea-like
Acidity: Bright, refined
Altitude: 2,250 masl

Overview

Colombia Yirgacheffe Variety is a highly distinctive heirloom Ethiopian-derived coffee grown at extreme elevation in Santa Bárbara, Antioquia.

Unlike heavier fruit-driven modern profiles, this coffee is focused on elegance, transparency, and varietal expression, with delicate floral aromatics, tea-like texture, and layered notes of peach, chamomile, and green tea.

The result is a refined and expressive cup that feels deeply connected to traditional Ethiopian coffee character while shaped by the terroir of high-elevation Colombia.

Origin

Produced by Juan Guillermo Luna Gomez at Playon de Alajuela in Santa Bárbara, Antioquia, this coffee is grown at approximately 2,250 meters above sea level on a one-hectare plot containing around 2,500 trees.

The project began nearly eight years ago through a collaboration with Costa Rican partners focused on exploring uncommon coffee genetics in a region traditionally centered around more conventional Colombian varieties.

Over time, this planting evolved into one of the more unusual and expressive lots produced on the farm.

Variety

This coffee comes from an Ethiopian-derived variety imported through CATIE in Costa Rica from seed material originally collected in Ethiopia’s Gedeo Zone — the region where the famed Yirgacheffe coffee-growing area is located.

Early generations of the plants created some confusion, as they visually resembled Geisha-type material. But continued observation revealed a distinctly different heirloom lineage with its own unique structure and expression.

Compared to more modern cultivars, the variety expresses itself with a raw and highly transparent character, emphasizing florals, tea-like structure, and refined acidity over heavier sweetness or fermentation intensity.

Process

Processing for this coffee is intentionally restrained and clarity-focused.

Clean, controlled washed fermentations are used to preserve the inherent character of the variety and allow the coffee’s floral aromatics and delicate structure to remain fully transparent in the cup.

The goal is not to impose a processing profile, but to highlight the natural expression of the plant and terroir.

Roast Style & Intent

This light roast was developed to preserve floral aromatics, tea-like texture, and refined acidity.

We roast conservatively to maintain clarity and structure while allowing the coffee’s delicate stone fruit and herbal characteristics to remain fully expressive.

Cup Profile

Expect a delicate and layered cup with notes of peach, lemon, chamomile, and green tea.

The profile is floral and tea-like with bright acidity, silky texture, and a clean refined finish.

We have tasted several Ethiopian heirloom varieties cultivated in Colombia and across Central America, and this one comes closest to the delicate and complex flavors of coffees from Ethiopia's Yirgacheffe region of any.

Brewing Recommendations

Excellent for:

• Pour-over (maximum clarity and florals)
• AeroPress (enhanced sweetness and body)
  

Use filtered water and brew temperatures around 201-203°F for best results.

Who This Coffee Is For

• Fans of washed Ethiopian coffees
• Drinkers seeking floral and tea-like profiles
• Those interested in rare heirloom coffee genetics
• Coffee enthusiasts who value clarity and transparency over intensity

If you prefer more fruit-saturated or fermentation-driven coffees, consider one of our natural or anaerobic processed offerings instead.

Why This Coffee Stands Out

Rare Ethiopian-Derived Genetics
Originating from seed material connected to Ethiopia’s Gedeo Zone.

Extreme Elevation
Grown at approximately 2,250 meters above sea level.

Clarity-Focused Washed Processing
Designed to preserve transparency and varietal expression.

Distinctive Floral Structure
Tea-like and refined rather than heavily fruit-driven.

Roasted for Expression
Lightly roasted to preserve nuance, florals, and acidity.