Colombia Chiroso Hernandez & Caro

We taste: White peach, lemonade, green tea — medium acidity, floral finish.

Chiroso is a niche coffee varietal common to Urrao in the southwest of Antioquia, Colombia, its name derived from local Colombian slang for something a little elongated.

In Urrao, Chiroso is cultivated widely for high yields similar to a Caturra — so similar, in fact, that many have mistakenly categorized it as a genetic offshoot of Caturra. Like the more popular varietal Sidra, however, genetic testing suggests Chiroso is a natural landrace from Ethiopia. How it arrived in Colombia remains a mystery.

Floral like a Gesha but with an herbaceous twist, Chiroso has a markedly sweeter and fuller-bodied profile. This lot, produced in cooperation by Daniel Hernandez of finca El Tigre and Santiago Caro of finca La Falda, showcases that profile in its uniqueness.

It was harvested, laid out in controlled oxygen exposure to relax the fruit, pulped, then fermented for 48 hours with mucilage intact, before being washed and sun-dried on raised beds.

Origin Urrao, Antioquia, Colombia · Farms El Tigre & La Falda · Process Washed · Variety Chiroso · Elevation 1,830–1,937 masl · Size 10 oz

Roaster Coffee Project NY