Farmer: Jorge Elias Rojas Vásquez
Origin: Planadas, Tolima, Colombia
Altitude: 2.000 masl
Farmsize: 12 ha
Lot size: 2 ha
Variety: Chiroso
Fermentation: 60 h anaerobic
Drying: 21 days in marquesina (dry-house)
Process: natural
Harvest: August 2024

Jorge Rojas, born in 1988, faced a life-changing event at the age of 12 when he lost his father. From that moment, he began working alongside his mother on their family-owned coffee farm, a responsibility he took on with unwavering dedication. Despite only completing his education up to the third grade, Jorge devoted his life to coffee, with a dream to produce high-end specialty coffee.

Early on, Jorge joined the ASOPEP Planadas association, where he embraced ecological farming techniques. Alongside 300 other farmers, he earned an organic BIO certification through ASOPEP, making him one of the few producers of organic high-end specialty coffee.

One of Jorge’s standout coffees is Chiroso, a wild variety discovered in Urrao, Antioquia. The name “Chiroso” means “big” or “bumpy,” inspired by its resemblance to achiras, a traditional, imperfectly shaped Colombian cookie. DNA analysis revealed why Chiroso has a flavor profile that blends characteristics of both Ethiopian and Colombian coffees. Like the famed Geisha, Chiroso is a heirloom variety with Ethiopian roots, often noted for its spicy cardamom-like qualities, tropical fruit flavors, and floral notes.

Jorge’s coffees are versatile—sometimes highlighting bold, process-forward flavors, while other times bringing out delicate terroir and variety-driven nuances. For this particular lot, we struck a balance: a short fermented natural process. When planning the process, Jorge was insistent: “Only two-and-a-half days, okay?” His goal was to intensify fruitiness and flavor without adding heaviness, resulting in a clean, natural Chiroso that lets the variety itself shine.

It’s worth noting that the term “anaerobic fermentation” can be misleading, as all fermentation is technically anaerobic. During this metabolic process, yeasts produce alcohol instead of vinegar. This happens through anaerobic glycolysis, where only two ATP (energy molecules) are produced compared to the 32 in aerobic oxidation. This allows longer fermentation periods without risking over-fermentation or off-flavours.

The result is a deep, floral, red fruit-driven, clean natural coffee that we crafted together with Jorge. For this microlot, we kept the development phase intentionally short to highlight the variety’s inherent fruit-forward character.