Colombia - El Mirador Hydro Honey (Hydro Honey)

Name: El Mirador Hydro Honey

Country: Colombia

Region: Huila

Varietal: Orange Bourbon

Process: Hydro Honey

Elevation: 1,650 MASL

Tasting Notes: Honey, Apricot, Toffee, Citrus

Located in the town of Pitalito in Huila, Colombia, El Mirador is a 32-hectare farm with 30 hectares of coffee. The farm includes a broad collection of varieties like Catiope, Mokka, Tabi, and Gesha, as well as three different Bourbon strains including Orange, Striped, and Pink Bourbon. Caturra is a core variety for the farm as well, making it a staple for volume lots.

Elkin Guzman, the owner of El Mirador, has been surrounded by coffee since he was born. His family has always been involved in coffee cultivation, trading, or retail. Collectively, his family has celebrated over 70 years in coffee now, with 12 years of research devoted to post-harvest processing techniques. All of this research and experience has brought Elkin to utilize multiple processing techniques depending on the individual lot of coffee, including Coffee Maceration, Lactic and Acetic Natural processes, and Natural Hydro Honey.

Harvest and post-harvest procedures are highly standardized for consistency and quality. First, the sugar content of the coffee cherries is measured in degrees Brix, followed by density and volumetric separation. Finally, the decision is made on which processing method is best suited to bring each lot to its fullest potential. The processing methods used by Elkin embody his pioneering spirit, combining different approaches to fermentation and drying techniques to complement each coffee’s inherent characteristics. In the case of this lot of Orange Bourbon coffee, the team at El Mirador chose Honey processing. Orange Bourbon is a natural mutation of the common Bourbon variety. Diana Devia Sanchez, Elkin’s wife and partner, took a trip to Finca Los Pirineos in El Salvador to learn more about coffee and the work that Don Gilberto Baraona and his team do there. After a week visit they decided to take part in a seed exchange between the two farms, and Orange Bourbon was one of the varieties that El Mirador received.

The Honey process at El Mirador is based around rigorous cherry selection prior to processing. The coffee is fermented 90–120 hours in cherry prior to being pulped. The pulped coffee is then dried slowly for up to 25 days before final milling and packaging.

Enjoy $5 flat rate shipping on your whole order. We still offer free local Redding area pickup.

Please note: We roast to order three times a week. Your order will ship as promptly as possible, with the freshest roast possible. You will receive a notification when your order has been shipped.

If you have any questions, please contact us at  orders@theorycoffee.com