C56 Colombia Nariño Blackberry Co-Fermented Honey, Medium Light
Nariño Blackberry Co-Fermented Honey
Blackberries go into the fermentation tank alongside the coffee cherry, and the lot is then honey-processed with its mucilage left on through drying. The result is berry at full volume: blackberry jam, blueberry and purple grape stacked one on the next, closing on a soft peach yogurt lactic note. If light-roast Ethiopians feel too restrained to you, this is the other end of the spectrum.
Tasting Notes
We'd Rather Spell It Out
Co-fermentation means adding a natural ingredient — here, blackberries — into the fermentation tank with the coffee cherry. The yeasts and bacteria metabolise sugars from both at once, creating new compounds that the bean takes up. This is not the same thing as flavoured coffee, where oils or essences are sprayed on after roasting. Nothing has been added to this coffee after processing; everything in the cup came from the ferment.
The practice divides specialty coffee. Critics argue it amplifies processing at the expense of terroir, and SCA-sanctioned competitions currently don't accept co-fermented lots. Where the industry does agree is on disclosure: if you do it, say so. So we've put the full process on the label and on this page. If what you want is pure origin character, this probably isn't your cup. If you want to taste fruit pushed as far as coffee can take it, here it is.
Nariño: Colombia's Highest-Grown Coffee
Nariño sits in Colombia's southwest, in the Andes near the Ecuadorian border, and is among the highest coffee-growing regions in the country. Galeras, one of the world's most active volcanoes, sits within the region and has left the soil exceptionally fertile.
There's a geographic quirk at work too: Nariño lies almost on the equator, so daylight hours barely vary across the year — around 1,666 hours annually. Combined with altitude that keeps temperatures steady between 16 and 25°C, cherries ripen slowly in cool, consistent conditions, which is where the firm acidity and solid sweetness come from.
Farms here are the smallest in Colombia — the great majority under three hectares, almost all smallholder-run. This lot is Castillo, one of the rust-resistant varieties bred by Cenicafé, Colombia's national coffee research centre, and a mainstay for growers across the region.
Details
| Code | C56 |
| Country | Colombia |
| Region | Nariño |
| Altitude | 1500 to 1700 m |
| Varietal | Castillo |
| Process | Blackberries Honey Co-Fermented |
| Roast | Medium Light |
| Net Weight | 200g |
A Starting Point
Pour over: 1 to 15 ratio, water at 90 to 92°C, medium-fine grind. Heavily fruit-driven processing doesn't want water too hot or the ferment character turns jagged. Around 90°C keeps the blackberry sweetness rounded and preserves that lactic peach yogurt finish.
It also makes an excellent cold brew — the berry notes concentrate beautifully over a long cold extraction. Browse our brewing gear if you need anything.
