This coffee is a Pink Bourbon variety grown by Fredi and Jaime Ortega at their farm, El Bosquesito, in Alto Sevilla, San Agustin, Colombia. Situated at an altitude of 1850 to 1910 meters, this lot is processed using a washed method involving a 32-hour dry fermentation in tiled tanks. The cup profile is vibrant and tropical, featuring notes of grape, cherry cordial, and tropical citrus, complemented by a silky body and lasting sweetness.
Rebecca Grossman and Lucas Smith founded Ilse in 2019, starting with a thousand dollars and a rented roaster in Stamford before building out their own facility in a converted mechanic's garage in North Canaan. The approach is quality-driven: light roasts, single-producer microlots, and a commitment to buying entire harvests from the same farms year after year, some relationships now stretch back to the beginning. Pricing is transparent; each bag lists what the producer was paid, the FOB price, and Ilse's cost. Sourcing focuses on Central and South America and East Africa, with Costa Rica, Honduras, Colombia, and Ethiopia appearing regularly.
