Colombia UBA - Co Fermented

Variety: Castillo
Process: Extended washed
Region: Calarcá, Quindío
Altitude: 1,400 masl
Tasting notes: Raspberry, coconut, pomegranate and pineapple

Producer information:

Julio César Madrid is the third generation of a coffee-growing family. In 2014 he founded Café Uba with a clear idea: to do things differently and move away from Colombia’s traditional coffee model.

Today Uba grows more than 20 varieties across more than 200 hectares, spread over three farms: Riviera, Milán and Buenos Aires.

Their signature is the way they work with fermentation and drying. At Uba, fermentation is treated like a laboratory: they monitor temperature, pH and time throughout the process. Julio works with his daughter, María Antonia, a biologist who has researched how microbial starter cultures influence flavour. This meticulous work has earned them national and international recognition and a presence in barista championships.

About the process:
This is an extended washed process using “culturing”, a directed fermentation similar to the way yoghurt is made. After selecting only very ripe cherries, the coffee ferments for 72 hours in a bioreactor with selected microbial cultures, which guide flavour development while temperature, pH and time are monitored. It is then washed to preserve the clarity and sweetness of the fruit, dried slowly and rested so the aromas can integrate. The result is a coffee with a very tropical character, yet clean and vibrant.