MEET THE PRODUCER | Elkin Guzman comes from a storied history of coffee farming, processing, and selling - his family has been in the business for over 70 years, the latter twelve of which have been largely dedicated to pioneering and perfecting post-harvest processing techniques. For his part, Elkin has championed these efforts, combining different approaches to fermentation and drying techniques which complement the inherent characteristics of each individual lot from their farm in the small village of El Portal, Colombia. TRUST THE PROCESS | Processing procedures at Elkin's farm, El Mirador, are highly standardized and carefully executed. After being measured for optimal sugar content in degrees Brix, each lot is carefully separated by both volume and density. It is only after these steps take place that Elkin and his team decide which processing method the lot will undergo. For this co-fermented lot, a starter culture is first fed a feast of sugar, molasses, and the nectar from three yellow fruits (pineapple, passionfruit, and mango) for at least a week. Next, that starter culture is added to an anaerobic fermentation environment alongside the coffee cherries. Once the fermentation period is complete, the whole batch is washed, pulped, and then spread on our raised beds to dry in the sun. TAKE A SIP | As far as co-fermentation experiments go, this one is a fairly balanced expression of the technique. It's fresh and summery, with a vibrant acidity and abundance of fruit flavor - think passion fruit, tart strawberry, and nectarine. The tasting experience as a whole reminds us of any number of classic candy hauls; namely, Smarties, Sweet Tarts, and Mamba Fruit Chews.