MAMAM - Colombia Santa Barbara Washed Filter 250 g

Whole-bean specialty coffee from Colombia, roasted by MAMAM roasting brand. Light roast, perfect for filter coffee machines, drippers, Chemex, AeroPress, French Press, and other pour-over brewing methods. The flavour of the brew resembles black currant, plum and orange flower.

Origin: Colombia

Region:La Marquesa, Sotora, Cauca

Farm: Santa Barbara

Variety: Pink Bourbon

Processing: Washed

Altitude: 1850 m a. s. l.

Cupping score: 89 / 100 

ABOUT THE FARM

Just twenty minutes from Popayán, at 1850 meters in the hills of Timbío, sits Finca Santa Bárbara - a 14-hectare farm where Geisha, Pink Bourbon, Wush Wush, Java, and Laurina grow beneath the shade of native trees. The farm was designed not only to produce exceptional coffees, but also to welcome visitors into the natural beauty and traditions of Cauca. Ecological trails wind through the plantation, biodiversity thrives, and comfortable cabins offer guests a quiet place to rest after a day on the farm.

Life on the farm follows the rhythms of the coffee trees. Throughout the year, the alleys between rows are trimmed several times to keep competing plants from stealing sunlight, water, and nutrients. Before fertilization, each tree is carefully cleaned to maximize nutrient absorption. The team also practices Re-Re, an old but essential method of collecting ripe, overripe, and fallen cherries after harvest. This keeps pests like the coffee berry borer under control and protects the next crop.

Fertilization is guided by annual soil analyses, tree development, and productivity. Weather, especially rainfall shaped by El Niño and La Niña, determines how and when nutrients are applied, but the goal is four fertilizations each year. Alongside these applications, the team spreads organic compost made from coffee byproducts at least once annually to enrich the soil and support long-term sustainability.

ABOUT THE COFFEE

Harvest begins in May and runs through August, with a smaller mitaca harvest in November and December. Skilled pickers—around seven per hectare at peak—move through the farm every two to three weeks, selecting only the deep red, fully ripe cherries. After picking, the cherries undergo Balceo, a water separation process that removes unripe or defective fruit.

From the farm, the cherries travel in a refrigerated truck operated by Área 18, arriving at Banexport’s processing facility in Popayán within 24 hours. The crates remain cool and well-ventilated to slow microbial activity and prevent unwanted fermentation.

At the mill, each lot is weighed, registered, and sampled. A 1-kg sample undergoes detailed analysis to determine the best processing method; for this particular lot, a Washed process was chosen. After cleaning and sorting, the fruit is pulped and the beans are moved into a stainless-steel bioreactor equipped with full environmental controls-oxygen flow, temperature, pH, °Bx, and pressure. Pink Bourbon thrives here: an oxygen-rich environment encourages the natural yeast strains of the variety to multiply, creating aromatic precursors that bring out its floral and fruity character. After 48 hours, the coffee is washed three times.

These controlled microbial shifts shape the sensory profile of the coffee, accentuating the bright, delicate, and complex attributes that Pink Bourbon is known for.

Drying is one of Cauca’s greatest challenges. Unlike the long dry seasons of Africa, humidity here often exceeds 60–80%, and annual rainfall can surpass 1,000 mm. To overcome this, Área 18 uses electric dehydrators that combine heat, cold air, and dehumidification. Their intelligent control system runs continuously, allowing the coffee to dry evenly in just two days without compromising flavor.

Once dried, the coffee rests in fique bags lined with GrainPro for 15 days, stabilizing moisture and ensuring uniform quality before export.