I am going to break the fourth wall JUST THIS ONCE to admit that Jorge’s Caturra is a bit extra sentimental for me, cause it happens to be the first coffee to grace the TC menu for a second time since I started writing the fan [non] fiction for our offerings in March of 2k22. At last, a circle is drawn in the sweet sweet sands of RLJ’s Touchy Coffee time.

And since we’re already being sentimental, let’s keep our hearts warm as we shift the spotlight to the man himself: Jorge. This is his fourth time on our menu in three years — a statistical marvel that harkens to some of history’s most iconic performances of any sort. We know this is some Big Talk, but rest assured Jorge’s sticker would not pay homage to the legendary wearers of the jersey it’s based upon if we did not mean it. IYKYK.

This season's Caturra is so big, rich, and triumphant that it seemed to physically occupy more space than anything else on the cupping table. We’re talking red fruit royalty, goopy chocolate decadence, and a fearless finish. Once again, we’re happily reminded that Jorge never brings less than his best.   

For those unfamiliar with Jorge, we can get you up to speed real quick. His farm, Finca el Jardín, sits at 1,800 - 2,150 meters above sea level in Las Planadas, Tolima, Colombia. He plants a mixture of Caturra, Yellow Caturra, Variedad Colombia, Pink Bourbon, and Gesha. A few years ago, he began working with ASOPEP (Asociación de Productores Agropecuarios de Café Especial de Planadas), a cooperative founded in 2013. As a young and enthusiastic farmer, Jorge seizes every opportunity that ASOPEP presents him, expanding his access to quality seed stock while learning best practices for various farming, processing, and quality-control techniques along the way. As a trained taster and roaster — incredibly rare skills to combine with the gargantuan challenge of farming itself — Jorge “dials in” his coffee throughout the harvest in order to make tiny tweaks to his processing techniques that have huge, beautiful results in the cup. So with the same diligence and curiosity that make his wilder experimentations possible, his “classical” stuff like is elevated to pitch-perfect execution as well, and this Caturra’s a perfect example.