We are super excited to present this, our very first aji lot, from young yet incredibly talented Colombian producer Paola Trujillo and her family. This offering was an easy choice for us, due to its cleanness and continuously-evolving complexity, making it a bit hard to pin down at first, but consequently an exciting journey in flavor. In the cup, we find juicy, round honeydew nectar, which is enlivened by a zip of kiwi brightness, and brought into harmony by an underlying baseline of rich nougat, which is present from hot to cool. This is a truly unique offering, and we couldn’t be more enthused to have the opportunity to showcase Paola’s outstanding work on Finca Patio Bonito in this way. Paola’s family farm, Patio Bonito, located at 1.700 masl in the coastal region of Cauca, Colombia, has been in the Trujillo family for two generations. It was founded by her father, Carlos Trujillo, who has begin ceding increasing authority over the farm over to his daughters, Paola and Patricia, who have been learning the art of coffee cultivation garnered from Carlos’ 40+ years of experience as a coffee farmer and agroforestry engineer. Patio Bonito is comprised of 9 hectares, planted with over 45.000 coffee trees of varying varietals, such as castillo, typica, colombia, pink bourbon, sidra, wush wush, SL28, geisha, and aji, which makes up this lot. Aji is a relatively new and unknown varietal that has popped up in Colombia, which is beginning to gain popularity. Although often referred to as ‘bourbon aji,’ aji has in fact no genetic relation to the bourbon varietal. Aji is, however, a descendant of Ethiopian landrace, just like chiroso, geisha, mejorado, papayo, pink bourbon, sidra, and wush wush. It was first discovered and named by producer Jose Herman Salizar on his farm, Finca La Guaca in Pilatilo, Colombia in 2020. The following year, he submitted his aji lot to the Colombian Cup of Excellence, where it won 6th place. To maintain the integrity of the delicate flavor-balance present in this coffee, we recommend enjoying it black. All coffee is sold whole-bean to reduce oxidization, and increase the longevity of volatile aromatic compounds.