LA RIVIERA - COLOMBIA

Process - Washed + Bioreactor - 24 hour water fermantation + 12 yeast fermentation

Varietal - Sudan Rume

Altitude - 1700masl

Roast - Light

Tasting Notes - Papaya, Passionfruit & Guava

Julio César Madrid has been growing coffee across three farms in Risaralda for over four decades, establishing Café UBA in 2014 as his transition from traditional production into the speciality market. La Riviera farm sits at 1,700 metres above sea level in Santa Rosa de Cabal, where the volcanic soils from Los Nevados National Park create ideal conditions for cultivating exotic varieties. The farm specialises in high technical intervention processing alongside growing a diverse range of cultivars, with Madrid working closely with processing expert Andrés Quiceno to refine controlled fermentation protocols that have gained recognition in international competitions.

About five years ago, Madrid adopted bioreactor fermentation technology as part of Café UBA's focus on high technical intervention processing. This represents a significant infrastructure investment in specialised equipment including sealed bioreactors, nitrogen injection systems, and continuous monitoring technology for temperature, pH, and Brix levels. This scientific approach to processing has been validated through collaboration with Universidad de los Andes in 2020, confirming the effectiveness of Madrid's controlled fermentation protocols.

Within the high-tech processing category, Café UBA has achieved notable recognition with their coffees selected by multiple competitors in recent World Barista Championship events, including Mathieu Theis placing 8th in the 2024 championship using their Sidra variety. The operation now spans over 200 hectares across three farms, cultivating more than 20 varieties suited to controlled fermentation protocols.

Sudan Rume has a complex origin story that challenges assumptions about coffee variety lineage. First documented in 1942 by A.S. Thomas in wild state on Sudan's Boma Plateau near the Ethiopian border, this arabica landrace was later confirmed through genetic testing to be an Ethiopian variety with natural resistance to coffee leaf rust and coffee berry disease. Despite being discovered in Sudan, genetic analysis reveals Sudan Rume as one of thousands of unique Ethiopian landrace varieties that evolved naturally in Ethiopia's forests, offering genetic diversity that differs dramatically from the narrow Typica and Bourbon lineages forming the foundation of most global coffee production. 

It’s important to order the right grind for the way you make your coffee:

Whole bean – for those with a grinder.

Coarse – for making in a cafetiere.

Medium – for pour over/ drip

Fine – for espresso and aeropress.

Size - Our bags are 250g