Julio Madrid Bourbon Sidra Sakura FW

Julio Cesar Madrid is the driving force behind Finca La Riviera and Finca Milan, two farms rooted in family tradition and cultivated for over 40 years. Alongside his business partner Andres Julio Quinceno, Julio has committed to developing and highlighting unique, high-cup-scoring coffees.

This lot was originally developed for Mathieu Theis of Café MAME in Zurich ahead of his competition at the 2024 World Barista Championship in South Korea. For that version, only Sidra cherries were selected to create a cup with pronounced floral and fruit-forward qualities. The name Sakura was chosen to reflect one of the standout flavor notes, cherry blossom.

From the precise selection of varieties to the discipline behind each processing method, Julio and his team aim to craft coffees that reflect not just the terroir but also the artistry behind each step of quality development. Each lot from La Riviera tells a story of the landscape, tradition and of the rich coffee culture in Risaralda.

Cherries are handpicked at peak ripeness and delivered to the wet mill at La Riviera. For this lot, Julio used the Sakura (Cherry Blossom) process, which starts with a 24-hour activation phase. During this step, pineapple and peach are combined with native yeast strains Kazachstania humilis and Kazachstania exigua, while a blackberry combination is kept separate.

The cherry has a 48-hour oxidation period before being de-pulped and transferred to a bioreactor where it is combined with the previously fermented pineapple-peach mixture. Fermentation continues for another 48 hours and then the blackberry by-products are added for a final 24-hour anaerobic fermentation. Nitrogen is introduced during this step to help control oxygen and support microbial activity.

Once fermentation is complete, the coffee is fully washed and dried in the sun for 10 days. It is then moved to a dehumidification room until it reaches 11 percent moisture content.

The Huila region is one of the most well-known coffee growing areas of Colombia. The Department of Huila has a population of 1.125 million and is located in the southwest of the country. The capital of the department is Neiva, a city of about 380,000.  

Along with Cauca and Nariño, Huila is one the three departments where the Colombian Massif is located. A massif is a group of mountain ranges and the Colombian Massif, which is known locally as Nudo de Almaguer, provides up to 70% of safe drinking and agricultural water for the Colombian population. 

The Magdalena River, Colombia’s largest river, runs through the region, providing plenty of water for coffee farming and generating (directly and indirectly) up to 86% of Colombia's GDP. The mountain range also features the fertile volcanic soil so typical to the Andean Mountains. 

Sidra is a cross between Typica and Bourbon that was discovered in Ecuador. The exact origins of Sidra’s name are unclear, but many think it may be named after the drink, cider, because of its fruity and winey profile. Appearance-wise, Sidra looks similar to Bourbon with well-defined, sloping branches, good tertiary branches and green buds. Sidra is high yield with a good seed size and superb quality potential.

Bourbon is a specialty coffee darling known for its excellent cup quality and good performance at high altitudes. The variety is susceptible to the major diseases, which can make it difficult to grow. Bourbon traces its heritage back to Yemen. French missionaries introduced Bourbon from Yemen to Bourbon Island (now known as La Reunion) in the early 1700s. Bourbon takes its name from the island where it prospered. Bourbon has had a huge effect on modern coffee varieties as one of the major ascensions for many varieties grown across the world. Today, Bourbon is available in both yellow and red varieties.