April 2025: Podium Platinum. Crimson Roasters
Country: Colombia
Varietals: Sudan Rume
Region: QuindÃo
Process: Natural
Producer: Jairo Arcila
Elevation: 1500 MASL
Tasting notes: Apple candy, lime peel, grape juice
The Coffee:
This coffee was grown by Jairo Arcila at the farm Santa Monica. This coffee was carefully hand-picked in order to select only the ripest cherries and then hand sorted to remove any defects. The coffee was sun-dried on raised beds in temperature controlled conditions until the ideal moisture content is achieved.
This microlot is 100% Rume Sudan, a rare Sudanese coffee found in the high plateaus of Sudan. It is resistant to diseases, and its yield is medium, with large and long beans.
More broadly, one of Jairo Arcila's key contributions to the coffee industry is the Chiroso variety, which is believed to have genetic links to Ethiopian landrace coffees rather than the Bourbon-Typica group.
Jairo's coffees are known for experimental processing methods, including the EF2 (Extended Fermentation) process, where coffee cherries undergo controlled fermentation below 22°C before natural drying. This results in distinct flavor notes.
The Roaster:
Crimson is a specialty coffee company based in Columbus, Ohio, that focuses on high-quality sourcing and sustainability. They emphasize direct relationships with farmers, traveling worldwide to find exceptional coffee and investing in community projects through their *Friend2Farmer* initiative, which supports education, health, and economic development in coffee-growing regions.
They offer a range of award-winning single-origin coffees, blends, and teas. Crimson's mission is to foster intentional and honest relationships throughout the coffee supply chain.
Crimson's commitment and exemplary coffee quality has been recognized with award wins at Good Food Awards in 2017, 2020 and 2024, and the huge acknowledgment of being Golden Bean World Series Overall Champion in 2024.
From the small-plot coffee farmers they source from, to the coffee lovers they serve, bridging communities is at the heart of what Crimson does. They've proudly traveled the globe—by plane, boat, bus, jeep, foot, and even mule—to discover exceptional coffee and cultivate long-lasting relationships with the hard-working farmers who grow it.