Campo Hermoso —and what to do with great beans

I got acquainted with this fantastic producer from the similarly-named coffee subregion of Colombia through a filter coffee I had in Zürich. Our local roastery that packaged these beans, Jack LeFleur, had made a couple of fantastic roasts lately, but their Campo Hermoso pink bourbon is probably the highlight of their selection: intense strawberry and red berries, great body and length.

After having it as a filter coffee, I bought a 125g bag and started experimenting with it at home. Despite my best efforts, I simply could not make an espresso with it that was drinkable by itself. My Mini Gaggia delivered stable but nevertheless either sour or bitter notes, and even the most balanced pull was quite aggressive.

Now I have started rethinking this bean as I tasted it again, in a completely different place by a different roastery. Here in Hong Kong, the Urban Coffee Roaster is making a fantastic drink they call “Red Velvet Irish Coffee.” The “red velvet” here does not come from any artificial coloring or sweetener, but rather from the aroma profile of the Campo Hermoso Geisha beans, with a spectacular length only extended by the whiskey inside.

The whole experience made me think: do we need high pressure at all if we can improve bean production and roasting? With enough body, intensity, and acidity that one can serve it with cream and whiskey, do you need further extraction? Going one step further, could one even serve this pour-over with milk as a latte, and if so, do we need to reconsider what we need for a complete coffee lineup in a cafe? Rather than a bulky espresso machine, perhaps a simple diner filter device pouring us cups and cups of strawberries, to be served as you wish. That’s some dream.