Buesaco Jardines

About the Coffee

This coffee comes from a group of small producers in Buesaco, a municipality in Nariño sitting high in the Colombian Andes. The name "Jardines" (meaning gardens) refers to the landscape surrounding the farms at this elevation. The group includes both newer growers and second-generation farmers, farming on volcanic soils under a microclimate that slows the cherry's development and builds natural sugar concentration in the fruit.

Processing here is hands-on and precise. Pickers select cherries by color at peak ripeness, and on the same day, the cherries are floated, washed, and sorted. From there, they go through two stages of fermentation: first whole-cherry in open-air bags for 24 hours, then depulped and fermented again on dry mucilage (the sticky layer between the skin and the seed) for another 18 to 24 hours. After a final wash, the beans are laid out to sun-dry for 8 to 15 days and turned regularly to make sure moisture leaves evenly. This double fermentation adds complexity to the cup while the careful drying keeps moisture levels consistent across the lot.

About Roasti

Roasti Coffee Co. was started in January 2017 by Andrew Hayes, a former hockey goaltender, and his father Gerry, out of Sherwood Park, Alberta. Gerry had been roasting coffee in the family garage for years before Andrew's hockey career ended and he took it over. Andrew began roasting on a five-kilogram roaster in his own garage, learning as quickly as he could. An early connection with Henrique Cambraia, a fourth-generation Brazilian coffee grower, helped point the operation in a direction focused on producer relationships from the start.

Roasti's production roaster, Tara Huizinga, describes their approach as trying to represent a coffee the way the producer would want it represented. They work with importers to gather notes directly from farmers about what they expect from the coffee, and use that to guide their roast profiles rather than imposing a house style on every origin.

"Roasti caught my attention on Reddit forums, but earned its spot in our July box after sampling their coffees; every coffee I tried was delicious and well-balanced. The "icing on the cake": Roasti publishes each coffee's FOB price on their website."

- Dean, Director of Coffee