This week, we're stoked to start off Colombia season with 3 fresh heaters sourced through our importing partners at LaREB(La Real Expedición Botánica.) From Diego Agudelo in Casabianca, Tolima we have 2x beautifully floral and citric Geshas from the same plot, processed in 2 different ways: Washed vs Honey. With punchy bright yellow fruits on the honey, and intricately layered florals on the washed, we cannot wait to hear feedback and discussion from the community on these 2. 

For the third coffee, we have the highly anticipated Colombia Agua De Dios EA Decaf Washed from CDNT(Caficultores Diferenciados del Norte del Tolima.) Clean, bright, with real life actual florals in a decaf, something we've been searching for since we first started roasting. 
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LaREB & CDNT:
LaREB(La Real Expedición Botánica,) is a collective of coffee producers and professionals united by a common goal: pursuing quality and consistency on the producing side while building long term partnerships with discerning roasters who will do those coffees justice in the final product for the consumer side. Everyone we have been in contact with at LaREB shows a clear passion and love for the craft of specialty coffee and it's made clear, both in the quality of green, and in the quality of their roasted coffee. LaREB partners closely with CDNT(Caficultores Diferenciados del Norte del Tolima,) a producer-led association in Casabiana, Tolima that allows smallholder farmers in the surrounding area to pool resources and export coffees on their own terms, differentiated from the commodity market at higher premiums and with much better transparency. CDNT puts a ton of effort into uplifting the quality of its members' coffee by distributing seedlings of different varietals as well as offering expert knowledge on growing, processing and drying. 
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Colombia Diego Agudelo Geshas:
Diego Agudelo works as the general manager of CDNT, and has his own farm in Casabianca, Tolima. Renowned in his local community, it's his job to uphold and maintain CDNT's excellent standard of quality while providing long lasting opportunities for success to its members. This commitment to quality and community shines in these 2 excellent Gesha lots, with the seedlings coming from CDNT's own plant nursery. Both grown at 1,650masl, each coffee only differs very slightly its processing method, washed vs honey. 

Washed: This lot underwent 24hrs in-cherry fermentation underwater in sealed containers before being fully depulped, then undergoing another 48hrs in water before being dried on raised beds. The cup opens right up to a candied orange/marmalade acidity, followed by a very punchy jasmine note as it cools. A lot more complexity to the citrus here compared to the louder honey, with the cup slowly evolving to Ruby grapefruit, Meyer lemon oil, and a sugarcane sweetness. Bergamot and jasmine take over the cup in the final sips, with an "oops all florals" send off.

Honey: This lot underwent 36 of in-cherry fermentation underwater, before being depulped with a small amt of mucilage left on, then sat for a "dry bulk" fermentation for 48hrs in a closed container, before being dried on raised beds. In the cup, there's a beautifully bright yellow Star fruit acidity While hot, with a white tea-esq body. As it cools, elegant floral notes of bergamot and jasmine glimmer on the surface, with chamomile and vanilla coming through in the finish. In stark contrast to the washed, the honey process shows a ton of intensity in fruit character with more dynamic florals, with a bit less clarity as a trade-off. 
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Colombia Agua De Dios EA Decaf Washed(CDNT:)
We have been receiving requests for decaf from the very beginning of Shoebox's launch, but without resorting to the typical process-forward, high intervention lots available on the market, we were left with little options that stood out with high clarity, acid-forward cups. So when we heard that 19 bags of CDNT's Decaf had become available after a cancelled contract, we immediately contracted 2 bags blind with total trust that it would land absolutely stellar. We're happy to announce that it exceeded our expectations. 

This lot, from a group of 10 smallholder farmers organized through CDNT(Caficultores Diferenciados del Norte del Tolima.) is comprised of Colombia, Castillo, and CR-95 varietals grown at 17,50masl with a very simple 48 hrs washed process applied before undergoing EA Decaffeination. In the cup, we find layers of spiced citrus while hot, with a surprising amount of orange blossom florals in the center. As it cools, the acidity comes out in full force with more definition as grapefruit and lemon tones shine bright on the final sips.