Pear • Oolong Tea • Raw Sugar • Minerality

Origin: Tolima, Colombia • Variety: Chiroso • Process: Washed

Day eleven.

Today’s coffee is a washed Chiroso from Edward Sandoval’s Finca Canta Ranas in Tolima, Colombia. Chiroso was once thought to descend from Bourbon and Caturra, but more recent research has linked it to Ethiopian landraces — which helps explain its expressive, tea-like character.

This lot comes through Pergamino’s Allied Producer Program and reflects Edward’s transition from federation technician to pioneering producer. Always nice when the backstory matches what’s in the cup.

Dialing In

Pulled clean right away. Grinder is fully dialed at this point — I won’t even pretend the grind number matters since it’s built into the machine.

Right off the grind, this coffee smells Ethiopian-adjacent: light, fruity, delicate.

First two shots went over ice, followed by a hot pull.

Hot Shot: Quiet and Elegant

Hot, this coffee is soft and restrained.

Peachy fruit up front, light sweetness, and almost no acidity. It’s calm, balanced, and very easygoing. There’s a subtle smoky note — not heavy, more like hickory — which adds depth without turning bitter.

I don’t fully get oolong as a direct note, but the tea-like structure is there: gentle, layered, and clean.

This is an afternoon coffee. Thoughtful. Unrushed.

Over Ice: Too Polite

Over ice, a lot of the nuance disappears.

The smoke and hickory vanish almost immediately, leaving behind a soft honeyed sweetness. Still pleasant, but much flatter. The minerality and tea structure that make this coffee interesting get muted once chilled.

Not bad — just diminished.

Verdict

This one belongs hot.

Colombia Edward Sandoval Chiroso is mellow, peachy, lightly smoky, and quietly complex when served warm. Over ice, it loses too much of what makes it special.

Elegant. Subtle. Best appreciated without ice getting in the way.

Day eleven in the books.