ILSE | Colombia | Reinaldo Chilito | Washed Pink Bourbon

Reinaldo Chilito runs the farm El Paraiso, located in El Purutal, San Agustin. The farm sits at 1859-1920 MASL over 6 hectares, 4 being planted with coffee. This is a separation of Pink Bourbon, harvested in January 2025. It’s a very flavorful Pink Bourbon, with high intensity and sweetness. We are tasting ripe tropical fruit, hibiscus, orange and limeade along with florals of rose and a white sugar sweetness.

Reinaldo was born and raised in San Agustin, where he developed a deep love for the countryside. Surrounded by agriculture, he began helping with sugarcane and seasonal crops at age 9. At 14, his parents gifted him a quarter hectare of land, sparking his journey as a grower. He met his wife, Doña Mariela, at 22, and as they started a family, they acquired more land to focus on coffee farming. In 2016, they planted their first pink bourbon trees after hearing about the variety’s potential for quality. After years of selling coffee locally without traceability, Reinaldo began searching for better markets. This year, he found the Monkaaba project and proudly delivered his first micro-lot under his own name, marking a new chapter in his lifelong dedication to coffee.

Cherries are picked at peak ripeness every three weeks and are fermented for 24 hours. The cherries are then depulped and left to ferment for an additional 24 hours with the pulp from the prior day picking. The seeds are then washed and moved to drying rooms where the seeds dry for 15-20 days.