The small town of Pijao is located in Quindio, a mountainous section of the Colombian coffee growing region, also known as Eje Cafetero. Once at the epicentre of armed conflict in Colombia, today Pijao’s culture is rich in architecture, dance and music.

Hailing from a long line of coffee farmers, brothers Felipe and Carlos Arcila purchased Jardines del Edén recently and have since planted a range of some of the world’s most exciting and sought-after coffee varietals.

The lot we have for this edition of Freak & Unique was processed using a combination of honey and anaerobic fermentation. Kicking off with a 72 hour anaerobic fermentation, CO2, wine yeast and strawberries are added to the tanks holding the coffee. The cherries are then de-pulped without washing and placed in drying beds where the temperature is kept below 35°C until they reach the ideal humidity level. Some of the sticky golden fruit remains on the coffee bean, reminiscent of honey, which is where the process gets its name.

The unusual and distinct combination of flavour notes transports you to a hazy summer’s day, with fields of floral jasmine, highs of coriander seeds, a dollop of strawberry ice cream and rhubarb custard candy.