Colombia Estrellas de Aji - Nano-lot Varietal Blend (Fresh Harvest)
COLOMBIA
ESTRELLAS DJ AJÍ - Regional Varietal Nano-lot Super Blend
FLORAL BERRIES, LILAC, TAMARIND, EFFERVESCENT
Estrellas de Ají, or Stars of Ají, is a special community lot from our friends at Shared Source, built around tiny harvests of one of Colombia's most exciting emerging varieties.
This particular release brings together coffees from two producers in Huila: Ildefonso Córdoba and Luis Octavio Titimbo.
Clean red berries with florals of lilac and orange blossom and sweet spice accents and tamarind with a heavy body.BEAN DETAILS:
ORIGIN: Huila, Colombia
PRODUCER: Five smallholder producers
ELEVATION: 1600-2100 masl
VARIETY: Bourbon Ají (Ethiopian landrace lineage)
PROCESS: Anaerobic Fermentation Washed
TASTING NOTES: floral berries, tamarind, lilac, sweet spice
ROAST TYPE: Light
Farm Level
LAS ESTRELLAS DE AJÍ
Community Bourbon Ají Lot — Huila, Colombia
Lot Name: Las Estrellas de Ají
Region: Huila, Colombia
Variety: Bourbon Ají (Ethiopian landrace lineage)
Producers: Five smallholder producers
Process: Anaerobic Fermentation Washed
Drying: 2.5–3 weeks slow drying
About Estrellas de Ají
Estrellas de Ají, or Stars of Ají, is a special community lot from our friends at Shared Source, built around tiny harvests of one of Colombia's most exciting emerging varieties.
This particular release brings together coffees from two producers in Huila: Ildefonso Córdoba and Luis Octavio Titimbo.
The idea is pretty simple.
Some of the most exciting coffees produced by small farmers come in quantities that are almost impossible to export individually. We're talking 50 or 100 kilograms at a time.
Cleaning dry-milling equipment between such small lots can be prohibitively expensive, and international shipping creates additional challenges.
Rather than passing on these exceptional coffees, Shared Source created Estrellas de Ají to bring them together into a carefully selected nano-lot blend.
We love this approach. It gives small producers a meaningful market for their most interesting coffees while allowing us to share something that might otherwise never make it out of Colombia.
The Variety — Bourbon Ají
Bourbon Ají has become one of the most talked-about varieties in Huila, particularly around Bruselas, where many of the contributing producers are based.
Its name comes from the cherries themselves, which grow long and narrow, resembling little chili peppers. Ají is Spanish for chili.
Interestingly, despite its name, genetic testing has indicated that Bourbon Ají isn't actually a Bourbon at all. Its lineage traces back to an Ethiopian landrace.
The variety has attracted attention for its distinctive cup quality and apparent resistance to certain fungal diseases, including coffee leaf rust.
For us, the appeal is in the cup: vibrant fruit, delicate florals, and a really distinctive acidity.
Estrellas de Ají captures all of that beautifully.
The Producers
Ildefonso Córdoba has played an important role in spreading Bourbon Ají throughout his community. Many producers growing the variety today obtained their seeds through him.
For this release, his coffee is paired with a small lot from Luis Octavio Titimbo, another producer working with this unusual variety.
Both producers use carefully managed fermentation techniques, adjusting their approaches based on cherry ripeness and weather conditions.
The result is a blend that brings together two distinct interpretations of Bourbon Ají while preserving the variety's remarkable character.
The Process
Although both coffees are fully washed, their processing methods involve extended fermentation.
Ildefonso Córdoba
Ildefonso begins by fermenting whole cherries in sealed plastic barrels fitted with valves for approximately 40–70 hours.
After depulping, he adds the juice collected during the initial cherry fermentation back into the coffee.
The depulped coffee then undergoes approximately 70 additional hours of fermentation in sealed containers with residual mucilage and a small amount of water.
It's then washed, sorted to remove floating or empty seeds, and dried beneath a polycarbonate roof.
Luis Octavio Titimbo
Luis takes a slightly different approach.
He allows freshly harvested cherries to rest overnight in their picking bags before depulping.
The coffee then ferments with its mucilage in sealed plastic barrels for 36–42 hours, followed by washing and drying.
Together, these two lots create a coffee with remarkable fruit intensity, floral complexity, and clarity.
A Better Way to Buy Tiny Lots
One of the things we appreciate about Shared Source is its commitment to purchasing coffee directly from producers.
For this release, the parchment coffees were purchased at 5,200,000 Colombian pesos per carga (125 kilograms), with payment transferred directly to the producers' bank accounts.
Shared Source also covers transportation from Bruselas to the dry mill.
Programs like this make it possible to purchase exceptional coffees in very small quantities while maintaining meaningful relationships with the people growing them.
And when the coffee tastes this good, it's a pretty easy project to get behind.
Brew Guide
Filter & Espresso
You bought great coffee. Brew it that way. Below is how we approach extraction at Color — built from years of roasting, tasting, and a lot of dialing in on our favorite brewers: Hoop, Pulsar, UFO, and Origami Air.
Brew how you’d like — but if you want it how we taste it, start here.
REST
Great coffee changes over time. Don’t rush it.
Filter:
→ 2–6 weeks off roast
→ Sweet spot: 3.5–6 weeks
This is where things get cleaner, riper, and more clear. Fruit tones deepen. Structure gets polished and the finish cleans up.
Espresso:
→ 4–6 weeks off roast
You can pull earlier. It’ll be brighter and aromatic. Around week 4, it rounds out and gains density.
If you enjoy tasting evolution like me, just keep brewing and wait for it to get better!
WATER
Water matters more than most variables. We QC with TWW at full strength, the light roast profile, but these coffees truly sparkle with most soft water profiles. Most mountain water is hard so be sure to adjust accordingly. Definitely filter out chlorine and sulfur if using tap water. Apex is making some really cool water drops!
Ideal Range:
→ 30–80 ppm
→ Moderate alkalinity
→ Balanced calcium/magnesium
Softer water increases clarity and perceived sweetness. Harder water can flatten acidity and mute top notes as well as muddy the finish.
FILTER BREWING
Core Philosophy
- Even extraction > aggressive agitation
- Minimize channeling
- Control flow rate
- Your taste is the most important factor!
- Bed Depth is critical, check out Jonathan Gagne’s thoughts on this
We aim for:
- Extraction Yield: 20–23%
- TDS: 1.35–1.55
- Clean, structured sweetness
- The least amount of astringency possible
- No hollow center, flat beds
RATIO
We cup at 1:17
For brewing, we gravitate toward:
- 1:16 – 1:17
- Personal favorite: 1:16.75
- If the coffee is ultra-dense or fruit-forward, push toward 1:17. If you want more saturation and body, lean toward 1:16.
GRIND
Medium-fine for most flat-bottom / hybrid brewers.
You should see:
- Even drawdown
- No stalling
- No rushing
- See Jonathan Gagne’s bed depth post
If it tastes:
- Sour → grind finer or reduce chanelling
- Bitter/astringent/dry → grind coarser
- Thin → increase extraction (finer or hotter water)
BREWERS WE LOVE
Hoop
Low agitation. High clarity. One pour.
Let gravity do the work. Make sure to break the crust when you finish pouring.
Use a metal aeropress filter if you’re struggling with choking and/or slow draw downs.
Pulsar
Excellent for brewing for 2 people.
Aim for doses 25g - 30g to reduce channeling risk.
Bloom with the valve closed. Open after the first pour.
UFO
Expressive, modern clarity.
Great for highlighting fruit structure. Forgiving.
We love the sibarist filters.
Origami Air
Run conical filters for clarity, flat-bottom for structure.
Control your pour pattern — even spirals, minimal disturbance.
Thermally stable, easy pour over option.
POUR OVER POUR STRUCTURE (General Framework)
For a 1:16–1:17 brew:
- Bloom: 2–3x coffee weight (45–60g for 21.5g dose)
- 60 sec bloom
- 2–3 controlled center-out pours
- Avoid heavy swirling or stirring
- Let it draw down naturally with a light rattle after the last pour. Agitation increases extraction — use it intentionally.
ESPRESSO
Rest longer. Be patient.
Starting Parameters:
- 1:2 – 1:2.5 ratio
- 25–35 sec
- 93–95°C
- Adjust based on roast level and density
These coffees often open up at slightly higher extraction. Don’t be afraid of longer shots if they remain sweet and structured. More shot volume = more extraction.
You’re looking for:
- Dense sweetness
- No harsh finish
- Lingering fruit or chocolate clarity
- Structured acidity, not sharpness
If it’s thin → grind finer or increase ratio
If it’s harsh → coarsen or lower temp slightly
WHAT WE’RE TASTING AT OPTIMAL EXTRACTION
- Saturated sweetness
- Clear fruit articulation
- No hollow mid-palate
- Weight without heaviness
- Long finish
When you hit it right, it feels polished. Not loud. Not dull. Just complete.
FINAL NOTES
- Rest matters.
- Water matters more.
- Extraction is measurable.
- But taste is king.
Brew whenever you’d like. Track changes. Stay curious.
If you dial something incredible on your Hoop, Pulsar, UFO, or Origami Air — tell us.
We’re always chasing better coffee.
— Color Coffee
Coffee Faq
IS YOUR COFFEE ORGANIC OR FAIR TRADE?
In many cases, yes. However, our first priority is quality and flavor. Sometimes these priorities align and our producers are certified organic and/or fair trade. We always pay well above fair trade rates (which are quite low and don’t guarantee sustainability or quality).
Often times, the producers we work with are too small to gain certifications. It’s expensive and laborious. Many of our producers are certified organic and fair trade, including many of our producers in Peru, Ethiopia, and Mexico.
WHAT IS THE BEST TIME-FRAME TO DRINK MY COFFEE?
Great coffee changes over time. Don’t rush it.
Filter:
→ 2–6 weeks off roast
→ Sweet spot: 3.5–6 weeks
This is where things get cleaner, riper, and more clear. Fruit tones deepen. Structure gets polished and the finish cleans up.
Espresso:
→ 4–6 weeks off roast
You can pull earlier. It’ll be brighter and aromatic. Around week 4, it rounds out and gains density.
If you enjoy tasting evolution like me, just keep brewing and wait for it to get better!
CAN YOU GRIND MY COFFEE ON WEB ORDERS?
Yes, we can. Please select how you want your coffee to be ground at the time you place your order. Simply click on the arrow beside "Grind" and make your selection. If you need help choosing let us know the brewing method you will be using to prepare the coffee, in the notes of the order. And we will be happy to grind the coffee for you on our commercial grinder.
DO YOU HAVE BREW RECIPES?
Yes — check out our Brew Guide for how we brew at Color.
MY COFFEE TASTES WEAK, WHAT'S THE PROBLEM?