This Yellow Typica is another masterpiece from the legend that is Wilton Benitez. It’s the first time that we have tried this variety from him and it’s definitely one of our...
This Yellow Typica is another masterpiece from the legend that is Wilton Benitez. It’s the first time that we have tried this variety from him and it’s definitely one of our favourites! Another super complex coffee, we are finding this to have soft fruit notes like peach, apricot and papaya and also floral notes like jasmine, elderflower and earl grey.
Wilton Benitez has become somewhat of a superstar in specialty coffee recently thanks to the amazing flavour profiles that he can create with his scientific approach to processing and cultivation. Like many coffee farmers in Colombia, he grew up on his family farm, in Piendamo in the south of Colombia. After growing up around coffee farming, Wilton then went on to higher education and became a chemical engineer, which has surely influenced his scientific approach to coffee producing!
Now heading up the family estate, Wilton has 3 coffee farms, Granja Paraiso 92, Las Brisas and La Macarena where this Sidra lot is produced. They produce over a dozen different varieties and have some of the most advanced processing techniques in the world, all matched to specific varieties to produce certain flavour profiles.
Yellow Typica is a rare and distinctive variety of Arabica coffee, renowned for its bright yellow cherries, which ripen to a golden hue rather than the conventional red. Originating from one of the oldest coffee lineages, Typica plants have spread across various regions, with Yellow Typica gaining particular prominence in Brazil and Central America. Known for thriving in high-altitude environments, this variety produces beans that embody a smooth, balanced flavor profile. In the cup, Yellow Typica is celebrated for its medium body, mild acidity, and delicate sweetness, often exhibiting notes of caramel, honey, and soft floral undertones, with occasional hints of citrus.
Although Yellow Typica is more susceptible to diseases such as leaf rust compared to newer hybrids, it remains a favorite among specialty coffee enthusiasts for its nuanced flavor and historical importance. Its distinct profile and rare, heritage status make it a valuable, if challenging, choice for coffee growers and roasters alike.
Wilton started to learn the fermentation technology used in various industries including wine, beer and cheese. Once he had an understanding of how these products were processed, he started controlling certain variables in the processing of coffee, including the sugar content, PH level and fermentation duration.
There are three main factors that provide his coffee with a unique and exquisite taste: the fermentation process, the microorganisms used at each stage and the method of soaking the beans in hot and then cold water to seal the grain.
PROCESS:
1. Manual harvest.
2. Characterisation of the cherry.
3. Classification of the cherry by density and size.
4. Sterilisation of the cherry (with UV and Ozone).
5. Cherry fermentation for 48 hours.
6. During cherry fermentation, addition of specific yeast
(Saccharomyces pastorianus) to enhance fruity notes.
7. Cherry pulping.
8. Fermentation for 68 hours in parchment.
9. During cherry fermentation natural grain juices are produced.
These are then incorporated in the second fermentation,
following the pulping process.