Arnubio Alvear El Jardín Pink Bourbon Extended Fermentation FW

El Jardín spans 25 hectares in Huila, Colombia, between 1,550 and 1,650 meters above sea level. The farm is led by Arnubio Alvear, a third-generation coffee producer whose commitment to quality runs through everything the farm does. Rather than chasing volume, Arnubio has built El Jardín around an exclusive focus on high-quality varieties, personally overseeing every step from cultivation through to final processing to ensure each lot reaches its full potential. 

El Jardín cultivates a range of varieties across its 25 hectares, including Pink Bourbon, Bourbon Sidra, Geisha, Bourbon Aji (Pimienta), Ombligon, Caturra, Chiroso and Red Bourbon. Huila's volcanic soils are among the most fertile in Colombia, providing the mineral-rich foundation these varieties need to express their full character. Arnubio's approach to cultivation is defined by his commitment to preserving the purity and potential of each varietal, applying meticulous traditional methods at every stage to ensure that nothing is lost between the tree and the cup. 

During harvest, Arnubio and his team selectively handpick ripe cherries, keeping strict separation of varieties. Cherry is sorted by flotation and placed in sealed tanks for 24 hours to initiate controlled oxidation before pulping.  

After pulping, the parchment with mucilage undergoes a second fermentation in GrainPro bags under refrigeration, maintained at an average temperature of 13°C for 80 hours, slowing the fermentation process to develop more precise and complex flavor profiles.  

After fermentation, the coffee is fully washed before being transferred to patios for drying, and it takes 15 to 18 days to dry depending on weather conditions. 

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. 

Pink Bourbon was previously thought to be a hybrid of Yellow and Red Bourbon varieties. The variety was first identified growing in and around Huila, Colombia. Recent research has found that Pink Bourbon is in fact not Bourbon at all. Pink Bourbon mostly likely comes from an Ethiopian landrace variety.

Pink Bourbon has a stunningly high cup potential that wows coffee professionals and consumers alike. Its impressively high cup quality makes even more sense now that we understand Pink Bourbon is not simply a hybrid of two Bourbon varieties but traces to Ethiopian landraces. Its siblings include the highly-prized Geisha, which has consistently produced incredibly high cup scores. Pink Bourbon will continue to be a highly distinguished and valued variety.

Some farmers also report that Pink Bourbon has more disease resistance than the Bourbons it grows alongside. Based on these new discoveries, this may be due to the genetic variety it has coming from Ethiopian landraces.  

Founded by experienced agricultural trader Vicente Mejía, Clearpath Coffee works with producers in Colombia and exports high quality, sustainable single-origin coffees from smallholders, cooperatives and estates. Clearpath partners with producers to support ethical, sustainable growth through fair prices, direct communication with buyers and building long term relationships with sustainability-minded buyers.