Coffee of the Month: Coconut Lemonade Co-Ferment
Every subscription box this month is running the same coffee: Coconut Lemonade, a natural co-ferment from Rodrigo Sanchez's farm in Huila, Colombia.
The Coconut Lemonade is the latest from Finca Monteblanco, in the San Adolfo municipality of Huila — the same high-altitude land that keeps producing some of the most interesting co-ferments coming out of Colombia right now. At 1,730 meters, the growing conditions are already exceptional. What Sanchez does after harvest is where it gets unusual.
The process starts with building a mother culture — a living fermentation starter — cultivated with lactobacillus and saccharomyces cerevisiae, then fed for 190 hours on sugar, molasses, citrus fruits, and coconut. That culture becomes the fermentation environment for ripe-harvested Purple Caturra cherries, which spend 150 hours in sealed tanks before drying two to three days in direct sun and another 15–18 days in shade until they hit optimal moisture.
The result is what it sounds like: toasted coconut, lemonade, grape. It's a strange and wonderful cup — creamy and tart at the same time, with a sweetness that doesn't overwhelm and an acidity that actually lifts rather than bites. One of the more purely surprising things we've put in a bag this year.
The Details
Producer: Rodrigo Sanchez Valencia
Farm: Finca Monteblanco, Vereda La Tocora, San Adolfo, Huila, Colombia
Elevation: 1,730 masl
Variety: Purple Caturra
Process: Co-ferment natural — lactobacillus + saccharomyces cerevisiae mother culture, fed 190 hours with sugar, molasses, citrus, and coconut; 150-hour sealed tank fermentation; sun and shade dried
Tasting Notes: Toasted coconut, lemonade, grape
How to Brew It
Pour-over is the move here. The process builds a lot of character into the cup — you want a method that lets it breathe rather than flattening it.
- Dose: 15g coffee
- Water: 250g at 205°F
- Pour: 30g increments
- Total brew time: 3:00–3:30
Grind medium-fine and give it a proper bloom — 30 seconds, at least. This coffee has a long fermentation behind it; rushing the extraction does it no favors.