A few months ago, when the idea of launching a Global Coffeevine box started to crystalize, I was in some premature chats with some people in the industry to get a feeling of whether they would be interested in such a partnership. Launching a new box is always scary because you never know how it will go down.
One of the first roasters I was speaking with was Subtext from Toronto. I had been following these guys for some time and my previous experience of working with Canadian roasters had always been extremely positive. In 2019, I even organised a special Canadian themed box featuring three brilliant roasters from across the country, which was very well received.
Subtext’s Alex Castellani was immediately enthusiastic after I suggested he could be one of two launch partners for this new box and sent some samples over without hesitation. When we got to cup his coffees, the reaction from our colleagues was clear. They blew everyone out of the water. The challenge then was just to pick which one of those coffees to feature.
Eventually we decided to go for the gorgeous Pink Bourbon from producer Faver Ninco in Colombia. This coffee stood out with its super clean and juicy cup profile and is sure to go down as an absolute treat with all those who already ordered this brand new Coffeevine box.
Faver is based in Huila, one of Colombia’s predominent coffee growing regions and his Finca Costa Rica is a family business where he produces outstanding coffees with the help of his daughter Liliam Camila Ninco Riveros. Liliam is also a quality cupper for The Coffee Quest who imported this coffee into Canada.
Upon arriving to the wet-mill, the coffee is left in cherry for 24 hours. After de-pulping, it’s placed in plastic bins for 72 hours (during this time, each morning and afternoon, the mass is moved around while in the tank). After 72 hours, the tanks are sealed and left for another 15 hours. After the 15 hours, the coffee is washed and sent to the greenhouse to dry.
Pink Bourbons might be a bit of a hype right now but contrary to experimental processing methods like long anaerobic fermentations or other hip methods, Pink Bourbons are a hype that we’re happy to stay for good. This varietal has tasted consistently delicious no matter who we sourced this coffee from and it’s great to have yet another great example in one of our boxes.
Subtext roasted this coffee on a Loring S15 Falcon roaster, which gave it a super uniform roast that is evenly developed and highlights all the sweet and juicy notes that are typical for this variety. This outstanding coffee will be offered alongside a beautiful Mexican coffee from Proud Mary and you can still order this box or the individual bags via our special Global Coffeevine Box page.
