Las Perlitas: The Little Pearls

The name Las Perlitas — "the little pearls" — is both an agricultural reference and a quality statement. In Colombian coffee farming, cherry size and density are key indicators of quality: small, dense, perfectly formed cherries — like pearls — are often the most flavour-concentrated on the plant. They ripen more evenly, accumulate sugars more consistently, and tend to produce cleaner, more structured cups than larger, lower-density fruit. Calling this lot Las Perlitas is an explicit declaration that the cherries selected for it met that exacting standard.

Pink Bourbon: The Washed Expression

Pink Bourbon's natural profile — cherry blossom, lychee, hibiscus, and a distinctive sweetness — expresses differently depending on process. The natural and honey-processed versions (see Blog #7 for the Las Perlitas Washed Pink Bourbon with its co-fermented context) emphasise the fruit and sweetness. The washed version prioritises something different and equally valuable: clarity. Washed Pink Bourbon at altitude strips away the fruit noise and lets the variety's intrinsic floral and citric character speak cleanly, producing what Rose Coffee Roasters (Switzerland) — who carry this lot — describe as "a delicious, bright citrus and floral profile, with tons of sweetness and clarity — it's a profile we could drink all day, every day."

This is Pink Bourbon as its most classically Colombian expression: precise, clean, and deeply satisfying. It is the kind of coffee that coffee professionals return to again and again between exotic experimental lots because it reminds them why Colombian washed coffee earned its global reputation in the first place.

The Coffee Quest and Las Perlitas

The Coffee Quest (TCQ) — the Netherlands-based specialty importer that also sources the Los Patios lots (see Blogs #19–22) — is the export partner for Las Perlitas. TCQ's sourcing relationships in Colombia span Huila, Antioquia, Tolima, and Cauca, and the company's multi-year direct relationships with producing communities allow it to access and guarantee specific micro-lot quality standards. The Las Perlitas Washed Pink Bourbon is part of TCQ's core Colombia portfolio — a recurring seasonal lot that roasters like Rose Coffee (Zurich) buy every year because the quality is consistent and the profile is reliably excellent.

"With a delicious, bright Citrus and Floral profile, with tons of sweetness and clarity — it's a profile we could drink all day, every day." — Rose Coffee Roasters, Switzerland

Brew Guide