Heresy - Illuminati Blend Espresso 1001 g

Whole-bean specialty coffee from Colombia and Honduras, roasted by Heresy roasting brand. Dark roast, perfect for espresso machines and moka pots. You can expect hints of caramel, jam chocolate, dried fruits and wine.

Origin: Colombia, Honduras

Region: Cauca / Santa Barbara

Farm: El Tambo / Javier Fernandez

Processing: Washed / Fermented Honey

Altitude: 2050 / 1600 m a.s.l.

Cupping score: 86 / 100 

ABOUT THE FARM AND THE COFFEE PRODUCER

El Tambo

This exceptionally clean and complex lot is the result of the work of four small-scale producers from the Cauca region. Willian Hoyos, Julián Sandoval, Rubén Castillo, and Yovany Muñoz cultivate coffee on several-hectare farms in the El Tambo micro-region, located west of Popayan, the capital of the Cauca department.

The following synergy of factors makes the quality of their raw material so phenomenal:

• the microclimate in El Tambo and the cultivation altitude reaching above 2,000 meters result in slower cherry ripening, while lower humidity facilitates the drying process:

• the processed coffee loses water in a predictable and controlled manner,a thoughtful and precisely planned system of pruning and thinning older, less productive parts of the coffee trees to ensure optimal air throughput and sunlight,

• the producers' modern knowledge of fertilization combined with a traditional practice known locally as “re-re,” which involves the selective harvesting of overripe, undeveloped, or dried fruits and leaving them on the ground by the trees: thanks to this, more pests feed on the “waste” instead of attacking healthy batches,

• and, of course, conscious, restrictive cherry picking at the optimal ripeness stage combined with years of experience in the fermentation and drying process.

Only the local population works during the harvest, forming the core of the community of several small El Tambo villages, which has naturally evolved around the continuous, seasonal cycle of coffee cultivation for generations.

Javier Fernandez

Javier is the son of Don Andres, a producer whose coffees we have already hosted in our brown jars. His farm is just around the corner, and the terrace of the washing station offers such an extraordinary view of the valley and Lake Yojoa that if Bill Gates had visited this place, this very landscape would be world-famous as a Windows desktop wallpaper. The Fernandez family (there is also a second son, Nahun!) is not afraid to play with processing, and thanks to bold experiments, they deliver some of the best lots in all of Santa Barbara year after year. This is an opinion, not a fact. But also a fact.

ABOUT THE COFFEE BEAN PROCESSING ON THE FARM

In the current Illuminati lineup, we have a combination of washed and honey processing with extended fermentation. El Tambo is a classic washed. Javier Fernandez is a more fermented wild card.

ROASTER'S OPINION

Once again, we apply the equation here: very good + very good ≤ very good. In the base, there is deep caramel sweetness and plenty of jammy fruitiness, the dark-blue, forest kind. And as a joker, a winey-tropical honey. 21st-century synergy.An espresso shot of this is pure goodness. Illuminati offers greater complexity than a classic Brazil. At the same time, it is very sweet, slightly fruity, and goes down well solo or with milk. Balance and a pleasant, yet in no way overpowering acidity – that is our main plan for this blend!

Store in a cold and dry space.