This is our 3rd consecutive year working with our good friend Felipe Contreras! The work from the team at Finca Gascon has always impressed us, and the story of the farm starts with Felipes grandfather, Gildardo. As a young boy he would pick and process coffee with his grandparents who had over 50 Bourbon trees in their backyard. Gildardo hoped to one day own his own coffee farm and in 2012, made that dream a reality. He now has 54 acres to his name that his son Felipe now manages. Felipe is focusing on producing the highest quality coffee and grows Typica, Pacamara, Geisha and this Bourbon.

Felipe is striving to be completely sustainable and has worked to improve the environment within and around the farm. The soil health and biodiversity within the local ecosystem are most important. The plots are designed with permaculture principles like shade trees, plant and animal husbandry and natural irrigation systems. The team use regenerative practices like reintroducing lixiviates from the fermentation back into the plants and cattle to produce compost. They use zero agrochemicals or insecticides and have a bio-factory where they make their own fertilizer by fermenting plants and herbs.

Felipe is also innovative with the coffee processing. They have built new drying beds and are constantly experimenting with different small scale fermentation. This Bourbon lot is processed as a 'traditional' black honey, whereby the cherry is pulped with most of the mucilage left on the seed. It is then watchfully dried on raised beds with temperature and humidity constantly regulated.

The result is a richly sweet cup with notes of orange, black cherry and nougat.