Colombia Andres Martinez Blackberry Co-Ferment

Andrés Martínez brings a technical approach to experimental coffee processing, combining his background in biochemical engineering with years of experience working in Colombian specialty coffee. At his El Sendero project in Cauca, he uses carefully controlled fermentation to build coffees that are intensely expressive without losing sweetness, structure, or balance. For this lot, fresh Castilla blackberries are blended with enology yeast and fermented anaerobically for four days to create a blackberry mosto. The coffee is then added to the tank and co-fermented with the blackberry mixture for another four days. After fermentation, the coffee receives a light wash to remove excess fruit before being dried on sun beds. The blackberry character is impossible to miss: lush blackberry jam up front, followed by caramel and brown sugar sweetness and a full, syrupy body. Despite the intensity of the process, the cup stays smooth and polished rather than overly funky. It's an experimental coffee with a wild flavor profile that remains exceptionally easy to drink.