Marlon Bolaños Pink Bourbon • Washed

Marlon is a 21-year-old first-generation specialty producer from Acevedo, Huila. He began farming full-time two years ago after completing a barismo and green coffee evaluation course at SENA at age 17, where his focus shifted toward differentiated varieties and quality-driven processing. His operation, Three Coffee Farmers, is a family project run alongside his brothers Hemerson and Pedro on a ten-hectare farm that has been in the family for generations. Marlon leads fermentation, sample preparation, cupping, and commercial strategy, while his brothers manage general farm operations and intercropped cultivation.

The farm draws from a natural spring that runs through rock formations on the property. Marlon observed early on that the mineral composition of this water produced noticeable results in the cup, with enhanced body and sweetness relative to other water sources. He began using it in barista competitions and found consistent success. Other competitors have since sourced and used the same water in regional and national championships, where it has earned recognition as "champions' water".

For this lot, cherries are harvested and selected by density, then immediately de-pulped. Fermentation takes place in closed tanks for 24 hours, a short and tightly controlled window that develops fruitiness while preserving clarity. After fermentation, the parchment is thoroughly washed to remove residual mucilage and transferred to raised sun beds, where it dries for 7 to 8 days to a target moisture content of approximately 11%. The process is intentionally straightforward, favoring varietal expression over intervention.