Colombia - El Silencio - Sara Gutierrez

Set in the hills of Quindío, in Colombia’s central mountain range, Finca El Silencio spans 60 hectares near the town of Buenavista. Here, Sara Gutierrez carries forward a legacy of five generations of coffee farming, blending deep-rooted tradition with scientific curiosity. The farm benefits from a truly unique microclimate: warm valley winds meet the cooler mountain air, fostering slow ripening and complex flavor development. Surrounded by walnut trees, guamos, and natural plantain and banana barriers, the coffee grows in a rich ecosystem with balanced sun and shade exposure.

This lot is 100% Yellow Colombia, processed through natural carbonic maceration - where whole cherries are left in a CO₂-saturated environment, promoting intracellular fermentation that enhances fruity, floral, and clean cup profiles. Ripe cherries are meticulously handpicked and float-sorted twice to select only the densest, highest-quality fruit. Fermentation takes place over 168 hours in sealed tanks, located in the coolest part of the farm, allowing vibrant, structured aromas to develop. Drying is done slowly on raised African beds until the beans reach 10% humidity. Once stabilized, the coffee rests in GrainPro bags in a cool, ventilated space for about a month before milling and export.

El Silencio delivers a bold, fruit-forward cup. Expect intense notes of ripe plum, strawberry, and sweet blackberry, followed by subtle hints of blueberry. The body is full and expressive, with bright malic acidity and a finish reminiscent of berry jam and dark chocolate. A clean, juicy cup that shines best in filter brew methods.