SUMO - Java, Natural CM, El Vergel, Colombia

Producer: Elias & Shady Bayter

Farm: El Vergel

Region: Tolima
Variety: Java
Process: Natural Carbonic Maceration
Altitude: 1450 masl
Harvested: 2025

Cupping notes: Floral, apple, red fruits, jasmine, blueberry, chamomile, tea rose, and honey.

El Vergel Estate is owned and operated by the Bayter family in Tolima, Colombia. Their agricultural journey began in 1995, with coffee planted in 2010 and the first specialty varietals harvested in 2015. What followed was a decisive shift toward innovation. After facing limitations in the local market, the family focused on adding value through controlled fermentation and differentiated processing methods.

By 2018, El Vergel had begun experimenting seriously with fermentation control, later becoming known for its Koji fermentation protocols. Today, the estate continues to push boundaries, combining technical precision with varietal selection in order to produce coffees that stand apart in both structure and flavour expression.

This lot features the Java variety, processed for the first time at El Vergel using a carbonic maceration protocol. Java is an Ethiopian-derived variety known for its elongated cherries, clarity and floral character. While often associated with clean washed profiles, here it is taken in a more progressive direction.

The process begins with whole cherries placed in sealed tanks where CO₂ is introduced at pressures of up to six bars. Over 96 hours, the induced carbonic environment breaks down the cascara structure and initiates fermentation under strictly anaerobic conditions. The elevated pressure accelerates cellular breakdown, allowing microorganisms to metabolise sugars in a controlled and intensified way.

After fermentation, the coffee is dried slowly on raised beds for approximately 25 days. It is then stabilised in GrainPro bags for 30 days prior to milling, ensuring consistency and structural balance before export.