This coffee is a single-origin Chiroso variety from Finca La Marulanda in Urrao, Antioquia, Colombia. Grown at an altitude of 1800 meters, it is processed using the Cochadas method, a variation of the washed process where daily pickings are depulped and fermented together over several days before washing and drying. The cup profile is fruit-forward and ripe, featuring distinct tasting notes of nectarine, jackfruit, orange, and coconut cream.
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.
