September 2026: Podium Platinum. Crimson Coffee

Country: Colombia
Varietals: Yellow Bourbon
Process: Purple honey
Producer: Edwin Norẽna
Elevation: 1,650 MASL
Tasting Notes: Blackberry, molasses, lemongrass

Your coffee:

Edwin Noreña grows this coffee at Finca Campo Hermoso in Circasia, Quindío — one of Colombia's most closely watched coffee farms. A third-generation producer, trained agronomist, certified Q-grader, and respected Cup of Excellence judge, Edwin has built a reputation as an innovator, moving away from Colombia's traditional Castillo and Caturra varieties in favor of rarer cultivars like Pink and Yellow Bourbon, Sidra, and Geisha. He's especially known for pushing fermentation science further than most, running experimental co-fermentations that have made his farm a name among specialty roasters worldwide.

This lot is a showcase of that precision. Cherries are hand-picked only once they exceed 20° Brix, ensuring maximum sugar content for fermentation. After a 5-hour water soak, they undergo 96 hours of carbonic maceration, then are depulped with 45% of the mucilage left intact for a second anaerobic fermentation lasting 48 hours, with the "musto" recirculated every 24 hours to deepen flavor. The coffee is then sun-dried on African beds for 24 days, followed by 8–10 days of final stabilization before cupping and lot selection.

The result: layers of blackberry and molasses, brightened by lemongrass, finishing with a lingering, honey-like sweetness.

Your 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, 2024 and 2026, 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.