Julio Madrid – Nitro Caturra

This expressive lot of Caturra comes from the innovative hands of Julio Cesar Madrid and his processing partner Andres Julio Quinceno, grown on the highland soils of Finca Milan in Colombia’s Risaralda region. At 1600 meters above sea level, just outside the Los Nevados National Park, the farm benefits from volcanic soil, temperate climate, and a deep legacy of coffee cultivation dating back over forty years.

Julio Madrid, a third-generation producer, has dedicated his career to cultivating exceptional coffee varieties and pioneering new fermentation methods—often in collaboration with his daughter, Maria Antonia Madrid, a biologist specializing in microbial cultures. This particular lot underwent a unique adaptation of anaerobic fermentation, referred to as Nitro Washed, developed by Julio Quinceno. The method is designed to harness embryonic stress—a phase of increased cellular activity that occurs once cherries are picked—to create vivid and clean fruit-forward profiles.

Here’s how it works: freshly picked cherries are first left to warm in bags for 10–12 hours, then cooled in water at 8–10°C. After depulping, the mucilage-rich beans are oxidized for another 10–12 hours, then transferred to a sealed bioreactor. In this modified atmosphere, the coffee is fermented for 4–6 days with added yeast, microbial starter cultures, and a nitrogen injection, before slow sun-drying on raised beds for 15–20 days.

The result is a sweet, vibrant cup with no funk or overripe notes, despite the lengthy fermentation. Expect a juicy, high-clarity expression of honeydew melon, strawberry, vanilla, and watermelon, finishing with a candy-like sweetness reminiscent of watermelon gummies. Playful yet clean, this coffee is a true testament to scientific curiosity, craftsmanship, and the forward-thinking ethos of Finca Milan.