In The Cup
This lot from Luz Angela Rojas the kind of coffee that gets us really excited, super expressive with big flavours and loads of complexity. To us this coffee has t...
In The Cup
This lot from Luz Angela Rojas the kind of coffee that gets us really excited, super expressive with big flavours and loads of complexity. To us this coffee has tonnes of tropical fruit notes like mango, passionfruit and papaya. We’ve noticed quite a few yeast inoculated coffees have displayed flavours like raspberry, grapefruit and rose and those are definitely present in this one too. As this is an ‘advanced natural’ process it does also have an extra level of funk and booziness that the ‘advanced washed’ coffees that we’ve release don’t quite have. It’s a juicy banger!
The Story
Luz Ángela Rojas is a Colombian coffee producer who has emerged as a compelling figure in the specialty coffee sector. Based in Oporapa, Huila, she co-manages a family-run estate called Finca Chorro Alto and collaborates with partner Edinson Argote through a broader project known as Quebraditas, encompassing two farms totalling around ten hectares .
Raised among coffee plants, Rojas initially pursued a career in healthcare, earning degrees in nursing and administration. During the COVID pandemic she returned to her roots and applied her management rigor to coffee farming, introducing systematic agronomic controls and high precision fruit selection
Rojas represents a new generation of female leaders in Colombian coffee, blending technical innovation with deep respect for tradition and terroir. Her micro lot approach and varietal experimentation shine a light on Huila’s potential in the specialty market.
Technical Stuff
Chiroso is a rare Colombian coffee variety believed to be a spontaneous mutation of Caturra with Ethiopian landrace genetics. It is most commonly found in Antioquia and Huila, where it thrives at high altitudes. Chiroso cherries are elongated and smaller than typical Caturra, producing a cup celebrated for its florality and tropical sweetness. Flavor notes often include jasmine, bergamot, mango, citrus, and delicate honey-like sweetness, making it highly sought after in the specialty coffee market. Its unique sensory profile, combined with small-scale production, makes Chiroso an exclusive offering often processed using experimental fermentations like anaerobic natural or honey methods.
We do love a complicated processing technique at Atkinson’s and this sure is another example of that! Here’s a breakdown of Luz’s process with this coffee:
1. Harvesting: Making sure that at least 80% of the picked cherries are fully ripe.
2. Floating: This step guarantees the removal of unripe, overripe, and dried cherries.
3. Processing: NATURAL – Double fermentation. The initial fermentation lasts 60 hours, then the coffee is dried for approximately twelve days until it reaches 20% moisture. It is then rehydrated with “mosto” for 4 days with specific yeast.
4. Drying: After the second fermentation, the coffee is dried for 76 hours at an average temperature of 40°C.
5. Stabilization: The coffee is stabilized in GrainPro-type bags.