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Filter · Natural · Chocolate, cacao nibs, vanilla
Papayo - 240h carbonic maceration
🚚 At Purchase of 3 x 250g bags and receive free shipping within Germany.
€22,00 EUR
Unit price
€88,00 EUR/kg
Taxes included.
Shipping calculated at checkout.
Pickup available at Samstag Wochenende Markt Boxhagener Platz
Usually ready in 24 hours
Golden Papayo — 240 h Carbonic Maceration, rare Papayo variety from Quindío
A variety almost nobody knows, and a process that makes it shine. The Papayo variety is rare in Colombia: sporadically cultivated, barely documented, difficult to maintain. Jaime Zuluaga and his son Juan Camilo cultivate it at Finca La Isabela as part of the El Samán Coffee Farms Project in Quindío. 240 hours of Carbonic Maceration, ten days in airtight tanks, moved twice daily: this transforms the bean into something unexpected. Chocolate, cocoa nibs, vanilla, and in the background a tropical star fruit note that keeps the coffee vibrant.
Region
El Tapado, Quindío, Colombia
Altitude
1,400 m
Producer
Jaime & Juan Camilo Zuluaga — Finca La Isabela (El Samán Coffee Farms)
Variety
Papayo
Process
Natural, Carbonic Maceration 240 h
Score
87
Preparation
Filter coffee. V60, Origami, Aeropress or French Press.
Grind Size
Medium
Ratio
1 : 16
Dose
15 g
Water
240 ml
Temperature
93 °C
Brew Time
2:30 min
Recipe for V60. For Aeropress: grind finer, 1:14 ratio, 2 minutes immersion.
Processing
Carbonic Maceration, 240 Hours
The harvested cherries are placed in airtight tanks and flooded with CO₂. For ten days, they ferment without oxygen, and the containers are moved twice daily to ensure even fermentation. During this time, complex sugar and aroma compounds develop, giving the coffee its chocolate and vanilla notes. Afterwards, the cherries dry slowly on drying beds. The result is a natural coffee with a depth that goes beyond classic fruitiness.
About this Coffee
The El Samán Coffee Farms Project in Quindío is an unusual endeavor. Jaime Zuluaga was a lawyer before dedicating himself to coffee. Today, he runs Finca La Isabela with his son Juan Camilo, with the goal of reviving forgotten Colombian varieties and reinterpreting them through controlled fermentation.
The El Tapado region is located between Montenegro and La Tebaida at 1,400 meters, lower than most specialty growing regions in Colombia. This is precisely what makes the difference: the moderate altitude combined with the long Carbonic Maceration creates a profile that focuses less on acidity and more on body and depth. A coffee for those who want chocolate in their cup, not just fruit. Freshly roasted in Berlin.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Papayo variety?
The Papayo variety is a rare Colombian Arabica strain whose origin and exact genetic classification are not fully documented. It is only sporadically cultivated in Colombia, mainly on some farms in Quindío, and is difficult to maintain. It is characterized by its elongated cherries with yellowish skin and moderate yield. This rarity is precisely what makes Golden Papayo special: a coffee from a variety that is hardly known internationally and rarely found in the specialty world.
What is Carbonic Maceration in coffee?
Carbonic Maceration is a fermentation process originally from winemaking (classically in Beaujolais). Whole coffee cherries are placed in airtight tanks and flooded with CO₂. Without oxygen, anaerobic fermentation processes occur, in which sugars and aromas develop differently than with classic methods. In specialty coffee, Carbonic Maceration has been used since around 2015 to create more complex and deeper flavor profiles, often with chocolate, berry, or wine notes.
Why 240 hours of fermentation?
240 hours is ten days, significantly longer than most coffees (typically 24 to 96 hours). This long fermentation under controlled conditions (airtight tanks, CO₂, moved twice daily) allows complex sugar and aroma compounds to fully develop. With the Papayo variety, this particularly highlights the chocolate and vanilla notes and gives the coffee an unusual depth. Shorter fermentation would result in less complexity, while longer fermentation could over-extract the coffee.
Who are the Zuluagas and the El Samán Project?
Jaime Zuluaga was a lawyer before dedicating himself to coffee. Today, he and his son Juan Camilo run Finca La Isabela in El Tapado, Quindío, under the name El Samán Coffee Farms Project. The focus is on rare Colombian varieties and controlled fermentation processes that give the coffee its unique character. The Zuluaga family is not a traditional coffee dynasty but a generation of producers who understand coffee as an experimental craft. The Golden Papayo is their first export to Europe.
Which preparation method is best?
Filter coffee, ideally V60 or Origami. Medium grind, 1:16 ratio, 93 °C temperature, brewing time about 2:30 minutes. Aeropress also works very well (finer grind, 1:14 ratio, 2 minutes immersion), which enhances the chocolate depth. French Press gives more body, worthwhile for the cocoa-heavy notes. Espresso is not recommended: the profile is designed for filter, and the depth does not come through in high-pressure extraction.