Colombia Natural Papayo

rigin: Colombia, Armenia, Quindío
Farm: Santa Mónica Estate (50 hectares)
Producer: Jairo Arcila (3rd generation, 40+ years experience)
Processing: Natural with 45-hour controlled aerobic fermentation
Variety: Papayo (Ethiopian Landrace genetics)
Altitude: 1,450-1,500 MASL
Processing Station: La Pradera (zero-wastewater discharge)
SCA Score: 88.7
Harvest: 2024/2025

This Papayo Natural from Jairo Arcila's Santa Mónica farm represents something truly exceptional – an 88.7-scoring coffee that places it in the top 5% of specialty coffees worldwide. That's competition-level quality, and it tastes like it.

What makes this coffee special isn't just the score. It's the convergence of a genuinely rare variety, a master producer's expertise, and processing innovation that creates a cup we're proud to roast.

Tasting Notes

This is a coffee that rewards attention. Each sip shows you something new.

Why We Chose This Coffee

At Frank's, we're always searching for coffees that tell a story worth sharing – coffees that showcase what's possible when everything aligns perfectly. This Papayo Natural checks every box:

Genuine Rarity: Papayo is one of the rarest varieties in commercial cultivation. It's a natural mutation discovered in Colombia with confirmed Ethiopian Landrace genetics – a genetic link back to coffee's birthplace. Most coffee drinkers will never encounter this variety, and we wanted to change that.

Championship Pedigree: Jairo Arcila is a 63-year-old third-generation producer whose coffees have won multiple barista championships globally, including the 2025 Helsinki Coffee Festival Espresso of the Year and placements at the World Barista Championship. When you're sourcing at this level, you're getting coffees that champions choose to represent them on the world stage.

Innovation That Matters: The 45-hour controlled aerobic fermentation used here isn't innovation for innovation's sake – it's a refined technique that brings out extraordinary complexity while maintaining clarity. Combined with La Pradera's zero-wastewater-discharge processing (Colombia's first and largest vetiver grass water treatment system), this coffee represents the future of specialty coffee: exceptional quality with genuine environmental responsibility.

It Scores 88.7: This places it in the "Excellent" tier, where only about 5% of specialty coffee exists. At Frank's, we use our infrared roasting technology and precise 30-day aging protocols – developed through our championship experience – to ensure that score translates into your cup.

Simply put: this is the kind of coffee we got into specialty coffee to share.

The Producer: Jairo Arcila

Jairo Arcila spent 40+ years as Mill Manager for Colombia's second-largest coffee exporter before dedicating himself entirely to specialty coffee production. His six farms in Armenia, Quindío – the heart of Colombia's UNESCO World Heritage Coffee Triangle – produce micro-lots that consistently score 88-90+ points.

Santa Mónica farm, acquired in 1990, spans 50 hectares at 1,400-1,600 meters above sea level on volcanic land. Jairo cultivates multiple exotic varieties including Papayo, Pink Bourbon, and Gesha under a diverse agroforestry system with mandarin, orange, plantain, and banana trees. Every cherry undergoes strict ripeness criteria with hand-picking at peak ripeness, followed by meticulous flotation and hand-sorting before transport to La Pradera processing center.

Recent competition success: In 2025, Jairo's Pink Bourbon Coconut Co-ferment won Espresso of the Year at Helsinki Coffee Festival. In March 2024, his anaerobic Gesha secured first place at the Turkish Brewers Cup Championship. His coffees are featured by 40+ specialty roasters across five continents, including Onyx Coffee Lab, Black & White, and Proud Mary.

What distinguishes Jairo is his bridge between traditional Colombian coffee culture and cutting-edge specialty innovation. His sons Carlos and Felipe founded Cofinet in 2015, transforming their family's 80-year coffee heritage into a specialty export company. Together, they operate La Pradera – the processing facility where all of Jairo's coffees undergo transformation using both time-honored methods and pioneering techniques.

About Papayo Variety

Papayo emerged as a natural mutation in San Adolfo, Huila, originally mistaken for Caturra but later confirmed through World Coffee Research genetic testing to possess Ethiopian Landrace ancestry – a direct genetic link to coffee's birthplace.

The variety takes its name from distinctive papaya-shaped cherries that turn vibrant orange when ripe, with elongated beans similar to Pacamara's physical appearance. Industry experts describe Papayo as combining "the reliable sweetness of Pacamara with the floral elegance of Gesha."

Despite relatively low yields and the challenges of cultivating rare genetics, Papayo demonstrates natural resistance to coffee leaf rust and drought tolerance. Cofinet designates it a "silver bullet" variety for its climate resilience – increasingly important as coffee-growing regions face environmental pressures.

Only a handful of producers globally cultivate Papayo commercially, making this coffee a genuine rarity in specialty coffee.

Processing: Natural with Controlled Aerobic Fermentation

Natural processing represents coffee's oldest post-harvest method: whole coffee cherries dry intact for 15-30 days before hulling, allowing extended contact between seed and fruit throughout the drying period.

This Papayo undergoes 45-hour controlled aerobic fermentation – a sophisticated approach that distinguishes it from traditional natural processing. Cherries hand-harvested at peak ripeness (verified by Brix sugar measurements) are sorted through multiple rounds using flotation tests and hand inspection to remove any defective fruit.

Clean cherries spread in thin layers on raised beds where they ferment in oxygen-rich conditions. Throughout the 45 hours, temperature readings, pH measurements, and moisture tracking ensure fermentation develops complexity without crossing into defects. This careful monitoring – typical of Jairo's meticulous approach – produces the lavender, strawberry, and citrus notes that make this coffee distinctive.

After fermentation, cherries continue drying on raised beds for another 10-15 days, with workers turning them every 2-3 hours and covering them at night to prevent moisture re-absorption. The extended fruit-bean contact creates the signature fruit-forward characteristics of natural coffees: enhanced sweetness, fuller body, and the wine-like complexity that earned this lot its 88.7 score.

Why this matters: The natural process, combined with Papayo's Ethiopian Landrace genetics and Quindío's volcanic terroir, creates a flavor profile you simply cannot replicate through other methods or with other varieties.

La Pradera: Processing Innovation & Environmental Leadership

All of Jairo's coffees process at La Pradera, Cofinet's headquarters on a 16-hectare estate in Armenia. The facility represents the future of sustainable specialty coffee, combining cutting-edge fermentation technology with genuine environmental responsibility.

Colombia's first and largest Green Filter System treats 4,000 liters of processing wastewater daily using vetiver grass (Chrysopogon zizanioides), achieving zero wastewater discharge. The system operates through four stages:

1. Pre-treatment filters trap solids in settlement tanks
2. Pre-treated water moves to irrigation tanks connected to specially designed vetiver greenhouses
3. Water irrigated onto vetiver beds undergoes natural purification through evapotranspiration (80% released as oxygen), filtration through roots, biodegradation by microorganisms, and plant uptake (20%)
4. Solid residues from settlement tanks are dried and repurposed as compost for coffee trees

Vetiver systems remove 70-90% of BOD (biological oxygen demand), 60-85% of COD (chemical oxygen demand), and 65-80% of total suspended solids from coffee wastewater – notoriously challenging to treat due to pH as low as 3.5 and high organic compound concentrations.

Additional sustainability initiatives:

• 95% of coffees processed as Natural or Honey, requiring no water
• Remaining 5% washed coffees use dry fermentation with minimal water (90% reduction to ~4 liters/kg)
• 1,500 native Colombian trees planted monthly through dedicated nursery
• Solar panels power operations
• Coffee pulp and processing residues convert to compost, creating closed-loop nutrient cycling

Before the Green Filter implementation, coffee processing created severe environmental problems in Quindío: wastewater flowing directly into rivers, terrible stenches during harvest season, government-forced shutdowns of wet mills, and contamination of subterranean aquifers. La Pradera's system eliminates these issues entirely.

When you purchase this coffee, you're supporting genuine environmental stewardship – not greenwashing, but actual infrastructure investment solving real problems.

Volcanic Terroir: Quindío's UNESCO Coffee Triangle

Quindío forms one-third of Colombia's Coffee Triangle (Eje Cafetero), inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2011 for its Coffee Cultural Landscape. Santa Mónica farm sits at 1,450-1,500 meters above sea level on volcanic ash soils naturally rich in magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, and calcium.

These minerals directly influence cup profile:

• Enhanced sweetness with natural caramel notes
• Fuller body from denser bean development
• Bright acidity characteristic of volcanic terroir

The porous volcanic structure provides excellent drainage during Quindío's substantial 2,000mm annual rainfall while maintaining aeration that allows roots to access water during dry periods. Better drainage means beans develop with less water content, concentrating flavors – one reason this coffee achieved its 88.7 score.

At 1,450-1,500 meters, stable tropical temperatures ranging 18-22°C create consistent growing conditions year-round. Cooler temperatures at altitude slow cherry maturation, allowing beans to develop the complex sugars and aromatics that translate to the lavender and fruit notes in the final cup. Gentle breezes and consistent cloud cover protect plants from harsh direct sunlight, enabling the gradual cherry development that enhances cup quality.

How We Roast This Coffee

At Frank's, we roast this Papayo Natural using our Rubasse infrared roasting technology – specifically chosen to highlight sweetness and clarity in delicate, fruit-forward coffees like this one.

Natural-processed coffees require different roasting approaches than washed coffees. The extended fermentation creates complex flavor precursors, but also creates structural differences in the bean that affect heat transfer. Our infrared system gives us precise control over how heat penetrates the bean, allowing us to develop the strawberry and lavender notes without over-roasting the delicate florals.

Brewing Recommendations

For Pour-Over (V60, Kalita Wave):

• Coffee: 20g
• Water: 330g (1:16.5 ratio)
• Temperature: 90-93°C (lower than typical for washed coffees)
• Grind: Slightly coarser than usual for natural coffees
• Brew Time: 2:15-2:45 minutes total
• Bloom: 40-45 seconds using 50-60g water (longer than washed coffees)

Natural-processed coffees contain more trapped CO2 from fermentation, so they need a longer bloom. Grind slightly coarser than you would for washed coffees – natural processing creates lower-density, more brittle beans that extract faster and produce more fines when ground.

Pour gently with slow circular motions at low height to reduce agitation. Natural coffees are more delicate, and excessive churning of fines causes over-extraction.

V60 will emphasize the bright grapefruit and lime acidity with lavender aromatics. Kalita Wave will create more balance, where the strawberry sweetness becomes more prominent and the body increases.

For Espresso:

• Dose: 18-20g
• Yield: 40-45g
• Time: 25-30 seconds
• Temperature: 90-92°C

Natural-processed coffees can be tricky as espresso because the extended fermentation creates complex solubility. Start with a slightly faster extraction than you would for washed coffee. If it tastes too bright or sour, grind finer or increase temperature. If it tastes muddy or over-extracted, grind coarser or drop temperature.

Peak Freshness: Natural-process coffees reach peak flavor 10-20 days after roasting – later than washed coffees' 6-15 day window. Naturals need time for the heavier fermentation notes to "clean up" and for the coffee to fully open.

Storage: Store whole beans in airtight, opaque containers at cool room temperature (20-25°C) in dark cupboards away from heat sources. Use vacuum-seal canisters like Fellow Atmos or Airscape that push out air without creating full vacuum.

Never refrigerate – coffee absorbs moisture and odors. For long-term storage (2+ weeks), freeze coffee in small portions (3-6 days consumption) in completely airtight packaging with all air removed. Let beans reach room temperature in sealed containers before opening to prevent condensation.

Why This Coffee Matters

In specialty coffee, we talk a lot about "rare" and "exceptional." This Papayo Natural from Jairo Arcila's Santa Mónica farm genuinely earns both descriptions.

It's a coffee where genetic rarity (Papayo variety with Ethiopian Landrace ancestry), masterful production (third-generation farmer with 40+ years experience), innovative processing (45-hour controlled aerobic fermentation), perfect terroir (volcanic soils at ideal altitude), and genuine sustainability (zero-wastewater discharge) converge.

But beyond the technical accomplishments, this is a coffee that simply tastes extraordinary. The lavender, strawberry, grapefruit, and lime create a dynamic cup that evolves as temperature drops, revealing new dimensions with each sip.

Whether you're a seasoned specialty coffee enthusiast seeking competition-level quality or someone newer to specialty coffee looking to understand what's possible when everything aligns perfectly, this Papayo Natural delivers an unforgettable experience.

At Frank's, we're honoured to roast it, and we think you'll taste why.

Questions about this coffee?

We love talking coffee. Get in touch at frank@frankscoffee.co.nz or visit us at our Upper Hutt roastery.