El Casino – Pink Bourbon

Finca El Casino is a ten hectare family farm located in Palestina, Huila, at around 1,650 metres above sea level. At its centre is José Elias Martinez, whose relationship with coffee began from an early age, learning cultivation and farm work from his parents before developing his own understanding of agronomy, harvesting and post-harvest processing.

José's journey has not been entirely conventional. After leaving the countryside and spending time working as a bus driver across Colombia, his connection to coffee eventually brought him home. He acquired his father's farm and returned to production, gradually rebuilding El Casino with an increasing focus on quality and specialty coffee.

Today, around half of the farm is dedicated to coffee, with traditional varieties such as Caturra and Castillo growing alongside more distinctive selections including Pink Bourbon and Gesha. José has continued investing in the farm's infrastructure and drying facilities while developing his understanding of fermentation and processing.

This is our first time working with José, and his washed Pink Bourbon immediately felt like the right coffee to begin our relationship. We have always been huge admirers of washed Pink Bourbon, particularly for the fascinating way its floral character, vivid acidity and clarity can echo the qualities we love in exceptional washed Ethiopian coffees, despite being cultivated in the mountains of Colombia.

There is a beautiful simplicity to this lot: a remarkable variety, grown with care and expressed through clean washed processing. We are incredibly excited to introduce José and Finca El Casino to Sweven and to see where this new relationship takes us.

Pink Bourbon is one of the most fascinating varieties found in Colombia. Once thought to be related to traditional Bourbon varieties, genetic analysis has instead linked it closely to Ethiopian landrace populations, helping explain the intensely floral aromatics, elegant structure and vivid fruit character that have made it so sought after.

At Finca El Casino, José cultivates Pink Bourbon at around 1,650 metres above sea level in the hills of Palestina, Huila. His approach allows the character of the variety to remain at the centre of the cup, using a traditional washed process to emphasise clarity, sweetness and structure.

Perfectly ripe cherries are carefully harvested before being depulped and fermented, allowing the remaining mucilage to break down naturally. The coffee is then thoroughly washed before drying, creating a clean and transparent expression of Pink Bourbon where variety and terroir remain beautifully defined.

In the cup, expect star fruit, elderflower and pink lemonade. Exceptionally sweet and crisp, the profile is driven by mouthwatering, lively citric acidity, delicate blossom-like florals and a refreshing fruit character that carries through to a beautifully clean finish.

For us, this is exactly what makes washed Pink Bourbon so compelling: a Colombian coffee with an unmistakable sense of place, yet an aromatic elegance and clarity that beautifully recalls some of our favourite washed coffees from Ethiopia.