Colombia, La Guaca Ají

Expect notes of Green Mango, Lemongrass, Blueberry

Ají is a rare coffee variety not often seen, and it’s got an interesting story. Named Ají by José Herman Salazar, who stumbled upon it on his farm, La Guaca, in Pitalito, Colombia, José noticed a distinct sweet red pepper scent wafting through the air during the cherry harvest from some coffee trees that looked slightly different. Intrigued, he decided to isolate these trees and process coffee exclusively from them.

After extensive experimentation to perfect the processing method for this unique variety, Jose submitted it to the Colombia Cup of Excellence and secured sixth place. This achievement is no small feat from over a thousand submissions. While José's coffee didn't clinch the top spot, it became a standout from the competition – the organisers were astounded by the taste profile of this coffee, having never encountered the Ají variety before. Intrigued, they decided to conduct genetic testing to confirm its uniqueness. The results revealed that this variety was a first-generation offspring from the wild coffee forests of Ethiopia, similar to Gesha. In these lush forests, hundreds of undiscovered coffee varieties thrive, untouched and unexplored.