El Casino - Colombia, Sweven | 200g

Starfruit · Elderflower · Pink Lemonade
Exceptionally sweet and crisp, with mouthwatering citric acidity, delicate blossom-like aromatics, and a bright, refreshing finish.

Finca El Casino is a ten hectare family farm located in Palestina, Huila, at around 1,650 metres above sea level. At its centre is José Elias Martinez, whose relationship with coffee began from an early age, learning cultivation and farm work from his parents before developing his own understanding of agronomy, harvesting and post-harvest processing.

José's journey has not been entirely conventional. After leaving the countryside and spending time working as a bus driver across Colombia, his connection to coffee eventually brought him home. He acquired his father's farm and returned to production, gradually rebuilding El Casino with an increasing focus on quality and specialty coffee.

Today, around half of the farm is dedicated to coffee, with traditional varieties such as Caturra and Castillo growing alongside more distinctive selections including Pink Bourbon and Gesha. José has continued investing in the farm's infrastructure and drying facilities while developing his understanding of fermentation and processing.

This is our first time working with José, and his washed Pink Bourbon immediately felt like the right coffee to begin our relationship. We have always been huge admirers of washed Pink Bourbon, particularly for the fascinating way its floral character, vivid acidity and clarity can echo the qualities we love in exceptional washed Ethiopian coffees, despite being cultivated in the mountains of Colombia.

There is a beautiful simplicity to this lot: a remarkable variety, grown with care and expressed through clean washed processing. We are incredibly excited to introduce José and Finca El Casino to Sweven and to see where this new relationship takes us.