Brayan Alvear - Colombie cofermenté à la fraise

About the Coffee

Brayan Alvear grew up in San Adolfo, in Colombia's Huila region, learning to pick coffee alongside his father from the age of 13. That early start shaped everything. Today, Brayan leads a collective of more than 60 local producers in Acevedo who work together to improve their processing and negotiate better prices for their harvests. Their farms sit between 1,400 and 1,600 meters, growing Catuai, Caturra, and Bourbon Rose varieties.

This lot is the result of a three-way collaboration between Brayan's collective, the Ancla processing station, and the team at Clearpath Coffee. The process starts with a 24-hour controlled pre-fermentation of the whole cherries, followed by an aerobic fermentation phase. After depulping, the coffee enters an anaerobic environment where dried strawberry compounds are introduced. The goal is not to coat the bean in artificial flavoring but to interact with the fermentation itself, building aromatic complexity from the inside out. The coffee is then dried slowly to lock in that profile and ensure consistency.

The co-fermentation method reflects a broader shift happening in Huila, where producers like Brayan are treating processing as a creative extension of farming rather than just a step before export. Working with partners at the processing station level gives smallholders access to equipment and technical knowledge that would be out of reach individually.

About 94 Celcius

94 Celcius was founded in Montreal in 2017 by Marc-Alexandre Emond-Boisjoly. Before starting the roastery, Marc-Alexandre studied biochemistry and completed a master's degree in pharmacology. That background directly shapes how he approaches roasting: each coffee is profiled on a Probat P12 using high-precision thermal probes, with temperature, energy input, and roast development tracked closely from batch to batch.

94 Celcius gravitates toward producers working on experimental fermentation and processing, including long-term collaborators like Diego Samuel Bermúdez, Wilton Benitez, and Sebastian Ramirez. Brayan Alvear fits squarely into that circle. Marc-Alexandre also sits on the board of Café Collectif, which puts him close to the conversations shaping specialty coffee in Quebec.

"As the guy responsible for testing your coffee before you get it, sampling 94 Celcius beans was an absolute pleasure. Every cup was remarkably clear AND had depth of flavour to explore. I'm particularly excited for you to try "El Limonar", which has the potential to be another subscriber favourite."

- Dean, Director of Coffee