New Coffee! Wilton Benitez SL-28
A new variety from one of our most talked about coffee producers! Introducing our
Wilton Benitez SL-28. This special coffee comes from Wilton Benitez’s competition series (the ultra special coffees he singles out for use in national/international barista competitions) and
was just used this past weekend to win 1st place in Colombia’s national barista competition! We were lucky enough to secure just a small amount of this coffee before it hit the competition circuit and thus present to you a flavor explosion. A single origin lot comprised solely of the SL-28 variety, this coffee displays the coveted flavors of the SL-28 variety (originally from Kenya-think fruity, berry forward, currant and wine-like), the terroir of Colombia which often produces ultra sweet, fruity, and floral coffees, and the unique flavors that result from the innovative processing style of Wilton Benitez. Our cupping notes revealed record high scores, many exclamation points, and lots of heart and star drawings. We called this coffee winey and elegant and tasted berry jam, freesia, pink starburst, strawberry, cherry, blueberry Italian soda, jasmine, and lychee. A must-try coffee for anyone after a unique and special coffee experience! We have a limited supply so we recommend snagging a bag right away.
The unique process at the farm level. Wilton Benitez is at the forefront of innovation in coffee processing and is doing amazing things to create unique and masterful flavors. He is a chemical engineer turned high-end coffee grower and his science background, coupled with decades of experience in coffee growing/tasting, have led to some of the most unique and nuanced coffees we’ve experienced. Our founder Michael is lucky enough to have boots on the ground at Wilton’s farm right now learning more about Wilton’s unique processes. For this particular lot, selectively harvested ripe cherries are first sterilized with ozonated water and ultraviolet light. The coffee was then subject to an ultrasound process to open up the coffee and further break down sugars. (This process is newer at Wilton’s farm and the first ultrasound process coffee we have sold!) The coffee is then depulped and an anaerobic yeast fermentation takes place in bioreactors for 52 hours. After this the coffee seeds are gently rinsed/ washed. The coffee then undergoes controlled drying until the beans reach 10.5% internal humidity.
Unparalleled quality, a human story, and sustainability – that’s our coffee philosophy.
- Unparalleled quality. We won’t buy a coffee unless we know that it will inspire you.
- A human story. Often times a producer’s story gets lost in the coffee supply chain. It’s our focus to provide a seed to cup experience, honoring everyone involved.
- Sustainability. We purchase sustainable coffees directly from producers and through brokers who share our goal of making coffee a sustainable commodity. Financially and environmentally, the coffees we purchase seek balance.