The Same Farm, A Different Dimension

The Monteblanco Strawberry lot uses the same Purple Caturra variety and the same Finca Monteblanco terroir as the washed Purple Caturra lot — but it represents a fundamentally different cup experience. While the washed expression showcases the variety's natural character with clarity and precision, the Strawberry co-ferment uses Monteblanco's living culture system to add an entirely new aromatic dimension: the microbiological signature of strawberry, embedded into the bean during a precisely monitored 150-hour fermentation.

This is not flavouring. There is no strawberry juice or extract added to the finished coffee, and the result is not a flavoured product in the commercial sense. The strawberry contributes to the fermentation environment through its sugars, acids, and the microbial populations it hosts — the compounds that shape flavour in the cup are produced by the microorganisms during fermentation, not by the fruit itself. The end result is a coffee whose strawberry character is structurally woven into the cup rather than layered on top of it.

The Science: Why Co-Fermentation Works

The Process: Step by Step

1. Mother culture preparation (Day 1–8): Microorganisms from Purple Caturra cherries are cultivated in a controlled environment. Lactobacillus and Saccharomyces cerevisiae are among the primary organisms selected.
2. Strawberry culture feeding (190 hours): 80 litres of the mother culture are separated and fed with panela (unrefined Colombian cane sugar) and concentrated strawberry juice. The culture ferments for 190 hours to reach the target Brix and pH values — this step develops the flavour-producing microbiome before it ever meets the coffee.
3. Cherry selection and measurement: Coffee cherries are harvested at peak ripeness and measured for Brix content upon arrival at the mill. Only lots meeting the sugar concentration threshold are selected for co-fermented processing.
4. Floating and pulping: Cherries are floated to remove impurities and pulped to remove the outer skin.
5. Co-fermentation (150 hours): Pulped coffee is placed in a sealed 200-litre tank. The 80-litre strawberry culture is added. The combined mixture ferments for 150 hours. The team monitors continuously — the environment must not fall below 6° Brix or below pH 4. Any deviation triggers immediate intervention.
6. Washing: The fermented coffee is thoroughly washed to halt microbial activity and remove residual culture.
7. Drying (17–21 days): 2–3 days in direct sunlight, then 15–18 days under shaded canopies. Even drying under shade preserves the delicate aromatic compounds developed during fermentation.

"The fermentation process is reliant on the yeast that ate the fruit rather than the fruit itself — the end result is cleaner and more subtle than we would typically expect from a co-fermented lot." — Black & White Coffee Roasters

Strawberry vs Washed: The Same Variety, Two Worlds

Both lots share Monteblanco's foundational characteristics: silky body, consistent sweetness, long finish. The washed version showcases where Purple Caturra sits genetically — the natural aromatics of an unusual Caturra mutation with elevated sugar content. The Strawberry version uses those same properties as a canvas and adds a microbially-designed flavour dimension that the variety's high sugar content makes particularly receptive to.

Monteblanco's Position in Colombian Specialty

Finca Monteblanco is part of the Aromas del Sur group — a partnership between Rodrigo's operation and neighbouring farms Progreso and La Loma, all exporting through Clearpath Coffee. The shared mill, built in 2019, allows precise processing across the group's combined production. Rodrigo has also worked in partnership with Jairo Ruiz of Banexport on "Monteblanco–Banexport Experimental Farm 2" — a variety-specific experimental plot that extends the genetic exploration beyond the mother farm's existing plantings.

The farm's lots have served as competition coffees around the world. The consistency that Rodrigo built from scratch — a system explicitly designed to produce great coffee year after year, not just once — has made Monteblanco a reliable source for roasters who need competition-grade material on a seasonal basis. Purple Caturra, in both its washed and co-fermented expressions, has appeared in barista championships across Europe, Asia, and the Americas.

Brew Guide

The Strawberry co-ferment is versatile across methods but reaches its full expression in filter, where the aromatic complexity can unfold as the cup cools. Espresso concentrates the fruit intensity and works beautifully in milk.