We have something special landing for the most wonderful time of year! Introducing Crackleberry: a natural processed coffee from Colombia produced by our friend Frank Rivas Torres. A stunning single origin that perfectly captures the taste of the season, Crackleberry has tasting notes of tart raspberry and honeydew with a rich toffee finish. We sourced and roasted this coffee with the hope you’ll share it with friends and family while we commune during this special time of year. Once picked at La Indonesia, the coffee cherries are sorted using water to identify floaters (overripe or undeveloped cherries). The remainder are rinsed with alcohol and water. By rinsing the cherries, cup clarity is enhanced and characteristics of the coffee varietal become more apparent. Cherries are then fermented for 48 hours in sealed containers. After those two days, the coffee seeds are removed then placed back into sealed containers for 52 hours before 25 days of drying. In all transparency, it’s very hard to remove bias when tasting Frank’s coffees on the cupping table. We did a blind tasting next to other coffees to help remove our personal opinions, but that didn’t stop us from instantly recognizing his handiwork on the table. Crackleberry’s florality, fruit essence, and rich toffee notes reminded us of sweets that you would find at a holiday party. We’re so grateful to be sourcing this coffee from our friend Frank and his family that we can’t wait to be able to share it with you and yours. Try it out – and savor the work that went into this incredible single origin. Vita last worked with Frank Rivas Torres in 2021 to source coffee for the United States Barista Championship, as his reputation as a quality producer is known widely throughout the industry. Frank is a Q-grader (think coffee sommelier) and manager of his family’s estate, La Indonesia, in Nariño Colombia. Frank and his three siblings all produce coffee across the estate - which was handed down to them from their grandfather. The Torres family is very thoughtful about water conservation, preserving nutrient rich soil on the farm, and tending to the trees that shade their coffee plants. La Indonesia’s soil is fertilized four times a year, and their coffee cherries are studied incessantly for the optimal time for harvest.