Colombia Beto Narvaez - Multi-Stage Thermal-Shock Washed Papayo Amarillo
COLOMBIA
BETO NARVAEZ - MULTI-STAGE THERMAL SHOCK WASHED PAPAYO AMARILLO
FLORAL PINEAPPLE, PASSIONFRUIT, COMPLEX SPICES, GOLDEN RASPBERRY
BEAN DETAILS:
ORIGIN: Cabeceras, Huila, Colomnbia
PRODUCER: Beto Narvaez
ELEVATION: 1,550 masl
PROCESS: To process, Beto starts with ripe cherries, and he carefully sorts through the picked cherries in a large attic area above his processing facility. From there, he floats the cherries in water to remove the under- and over-ripe cherries. The water has sodium metabisulfite to disinfect the cherries as well. From there, he carefully stores the cherries in closed (but not airtight!) Grain Pro bags, and they begin their fermentation process within the cherry for 24 hours. (This is a shorter period of time than for Beto's pink bourbon — Beto says that the papayo amarillo has more sweetness and needs less time for the sugars to break down.) From there, he de-pulps the coffee, and then leaves the coffee again in sealed bags for another 48 hours. Keeping the coffee in the plastic bags is an intentional choice — Beto finds the large plastic barrels — canecas — challenging to clean properly. To ensure an airtight seal, he wraps cellophane plastic around the plastic barrels before placing on a black lid with a tube for off-gassing. Beto uses an ecowasher to wash the coffee, and he uses hot water (between 45–50 degrees — a thermal shock!) to wash the coffee, and then it dries under shade in an upper level canopy dryer. Beto says that the thermal shock "seals" the seed and keeps sugars inside. The coffee dries in about 3 weeks.
VARIETY: Papayo Amarillo (Yellow Papaya)
TASTING NOTES: floral pineapple, passionfruit, complex spices, golden raspberry
ROAST TYPE: Light
Farm Level
BETO NARVAEZ —Yellow Papaya
Yellow papaya from his 2 plots, both called Buenos Aires — old and new! — in the township of Cabeceras in Huila.
Beto has been a coffee grower since he was 13 years old, planting coffees in a plot that his mother let him manage — from there, he purchased more trees, and slowly — parcel by parcel — he was able to purchase a farm from his uncle. Beto left school when he was 13, but though he will freely share that he doesn't have much formal education, he has worked hard to learn coffee production step by step, and he has had great success. In 2015, Beto chose to participate in the Yara Championship of Huila, where his coffee won 2nd place. From there, he realized that he liked focusing on coffee quality. He joined the Guacharos group about 4 years ago — he knew the leader Edilma Piedrahita from his participation in a previous coffee association where they were both members.
Beto recently sold one of his plots (Buenos Aires — viejo) to his uncle, but he kept a 1.5 ha plot. 5 years ago, he bought another 4-hectare plot and also named it Finca Buenos Aires — let's call that nuevo! The new plot stands around 1,550 masl, and Beto has planted pink bourbon, bourbon sidra, ombligón, F6, cenicafe, and 1 ha of red caturra. He has 400 cachingo trees planted throughout the plot, as well as orange and lemon trees — last summer's brutal heat emphasized to Beto the importance of shade trees to protect the soils and coffee trees and moderate the sun's heat — the cachingo also sheds leaves that are rich in organic matter. The remaining 1.5 ha plot is in the township of Diamante at 1,600 masl, and he also has ombligón trees planted there.
Looking ahead, Beto is hoping to purchase another 2-hectare plot of land to plant coffee. It's at 1,750 masl, and he has the land identified — but he just needs to figure out the financing. He's hoping to plant half a hectare of sidra, half a hectare of chiroso, and a hectare of laurina — and maybe wush wush! Beto takes a lot of pride in having done well at coffee competitions, and being globally recognized for his hard work.
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?
We recommend drinking our coffee within one month of the roast date. Most of our coffees taste best however within 2 - 14 days of roast date.
For espresso, we recommend using coffee that has rested at least 7 days after roast date. This is because coffee gives off CO2 after roasting that can interfere with extraction. One way to get around this is to let your ground espresso dose sit for 30-120 minutes before pulling the shot. Email info@colorroasters.com for more questions about this.
If you are pre-grinding the coffee, we recommend drinking the coffee within one week of grinding.
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?
These are in the works! We are compiling a bunch and even shooting some video, to help you brew like us at home.
In the meantime...go here: Pour Overs | Aeropress to get some expert advice.
MY COFFEE TASTES WEAK, WHAT'S THE PROBLEM?