COLOMBIA LOS GUACHAROS PINK BOURBON

Tastes Like: Turbinado Sugar, Red Grape, Strawberry

Why I'm Obsessed: My first sip of this one stopped me mid-morning: aromatic, sweet, and immediately arresting. Now THAT's a Pink Bourbon! It's complex from the get-go, opening with some concord grape and red fruit that lifts into something I can only describe as strawberry pastry filling. Seriously, it's a strawberry hand pie in a cup, sprinkled with raw sugar, with a little lychee and a touch of lime in the finish, and it's smooth the whole way through.

If you've been reading a while, you know I have a soft spot for Pink Bourbon: the varietal that stole the show at the 2023 World Barista Championships and never gave it back. Its magic is that rare combo of citrusy acidity and delicate floral sweetness, courtesy of the bean's naturally high sugar content. Most roasters take it light and bright to chase those florals; Ruby went more on the medium, and the payoff is a Pink Bourbon you can drink every single day, with the fruit front and center and that turbinado sweetness rounding everything into place. This lot comes from Los Guacharos, an association of small farmers in Huila, who've built their whole operation around eco-friendly independence, and this is Ruby's seventh straight year buying from them. That kind of loyalty is how you get coffee this expressive year after year. Bonus: it makes fantastic cold brew as well!

If you don't know Ruby, here's the short version: they roast "colorful coffees" out of tiny Nelsonville, Wisconsin, and they've become one of the most respected sourcing-driven roasters in the country. Seven-year farm partnerships like this one are exactly why.

Bottom Line: You'll love Los Guacharos Pink Bourbon if you love strawberry desserts, collecting rare varietals, or you want something extra special to serve at brunch with friends.

This is our seventh year with Los Guacharos in our lineup, and you may remember the previous lot was especially unique and intense. “Bubblegum” even made its way onto the tasting notes on our bag! This current lot is equally as delicious, but in just a slightly more subdued (but definitely still dynamic) way, with notes of lychee, grape jelly, and limeade up front, with a rich and satisfying toffee finish.