Frequently recognized by the brand Café Granja la Esperanza, brothers Luis and Rigoberto Herrera are the proprietors of a small group of farms in central Colombia: Cerro Azul, Las Margaritas, La Esperanza, Potosí, and Hawaii.
It seems like every harvest the Herrera hermanos come up with something new and innovative, exemplifying the stewardship undertaken by their father, who first diversified their coffees to include Yellow and Red Bourbon, Caturra, and Typica back in 1945.
This particular selection is a delicately dry-processed Laurina variety, a unique mutation of Bourbon first encountered on Île Réunion, perhaps as early as the 1770s and most definitely by the first decade of the 19th century. You’ll likely recall Arabica’s Bourbon variety, introduced by the French in 1715 to Réunion Island (known then as Bourbon), off Madagascar’s eastern coast. Its deviant descendent Laurina is a short stature, conical tree with a diminished capacity to produce caffeine, resulting in near-decaffeinated levels of the alkaloid in the seeds. The cultivar has assumed a number of different names throughout history, including Leroy / Le Roy (perhaps the name of the farmer who first isolated it), Laurina (given its resemblance to the Bay Leaf bearing Laurel tree) and of course, Bourbon Pointu... “pointy Bourbon” if you like.
It’s fruity, but subtle and elegant; more like bing cherry and honey than wine grape and funk. Sweet and silky, it’s effortlessly drinkable, and given its low-caffeine content you can chug away all day without regret. Well worth the price of admission for a taste of this rare gem.
Tasting notes: bing cherry, honey
Varietal: Bourbon
Process: Natural
Harvest: April-June
Brewing recommendations:
Brewed with a C70 Saint Anthony. 1:16.666. 12 grams ground on a Commandante at 17 clicks and 200ml of third wave water at 205*F.
1. 45 seconds of bloom time with 36ml of water.
2. 64ml of additional water at 45 seconds.
3. 50ml of additional water at 2:15.
4. Final 50ml of additional water at 3:00.
