Patio Bonito

Colombia | Patio Bonito | Paola Trujillo | Sidra Washed | Signature Series

Sidra is a newer high-end varietal, believed to be a hybrid of Bourbon and Typica, developed in Ecuador. It combines floral and fruity cup characteristics with a creamy mouthfeel and long finish. It’s gaining popularity among experimental farms and barista competitions for its distinctive profile.

In the washed process, coffee cherries are depulped to remove the skin and pulp, then fermented to eliminate the mucilage before thorough washing. This method produces a clean, bright cup with pronounced acidity and clarity, highlighting the coffee’s intrinsic flavors. It’s widely used in regions with ample water resources, such as Colombia and East Africa.

For our exotic coffee, we store all the green beans frozen at -22°C in commercial freezers. This locks in freshness, halting enzymatic reactions that degrade flavor. Upon arrival we separate into small 2-3kg vacuum-sealed lots and freeze so that our greens do not age and we can sell these exotic coffees for years to come or until sold out.

Colombia | Patio Bonito | Paola Trujillo | Sidra Washed | Signature Series - When is peak flavour?

Paola Trujillo is a young, dedicated grower who owns the 11-hectare Patio Bonito with her family in Cauca, in Colombia's south-west. A chemical engineer by training, she joined the family coffee project under her father Carlos and mother Maria Angela, learning every stage of pre- and post-harvest work with a focus on quality and consistency. She also runs courses and training at the farm for young people in her community.

We met Paola when she was in Australia doing a tasting tour & I'm very glad that we sell many of her fantastic coffees.

Grown at 1570–1650 metres and picked to strict ripeness criteria, the cherries are floated and hand-sorted, given a long underwater fermentation, then pulped, gently washed and dried under controlled conditions to an even moisture — a clean, precise washed preparation that lets the Sidra speak.

Cauca, in Colombia's south-west, is prized for high-altitude farms and cool nights that slow cherry maturation, building sweetness and a bright, structured acidity.

Sidra (also spelled Sydra) is a captivating, exotic variety of Bourbon–Typica lineage, associated with Ecuador and now highly sought after on Colombia's competition scene. It is low-yielding and needs careful husbandry — resistant to drought but susceptible to leaf rust — which is why it is grown only by producers willing to invest the attention it demands.

Its magic is in the cup: celebrated for complexity, balance and a floral, tea-like elegance. In this washed lot from Patio Bonito it shows as stewed plum and red grape lifted by a bergamot-like brightness.