MFC x Edwin Norena Wild Garden Bourbon Aji

Rosemary, Black Pepper, Pine Nut Brittle, Muddled Raspberry

This is an exclusive lot, produced solely for MFC.

Edwin Noreña is one of the heavyweights of the Colombian coffee scene. A scientist-turned-agronomist and Cup of Excellence judge, his stuff has a habit of busting flavor boundaries. So it's a point of pride to be able to offer this coffee: a carbonic macerated natural produced exclusively for My Friend's Coffee.

This lot is pure Bourbon Ají. Bourbon Ají is one of the buzzier cultivars in specialty coffee, known for intense flavors and a touch of peppery spice (more on that in a moment). Contrary to what you might think, it isn't actually a Bourbon at all. Genetic testing suggests it's an Ethiopian landrace that somehow made its way to Colombia—though no one knows exactly how.

Edwin is a processing Willy Wonka, and this bean turns out to be a perfect match for his talents. He used a flavor-pumping carbonic maceration followed by a dry (natural) stage. The quick-and-dirty translation: the coffee underwent a period of oxygen-suppressed, carbon-dioxide-rich fermentation before drying inside the fruit. The result isn't the tropical fruit bomb you might expect. Instead, it's a savory mélange of garden notes, herbs, warm spice... and yeah, a bit of fruit too.

Rosemary is written all over this cup. You catch it in the dry fragrance, then the wet aroma, then finally in the brew itself. It's a note you almost never encounter, and it acts like a Times Square billboard for the coffee's singularity. Heaping on more savory goodness is a hit of black pepper—rich, spicy, elegant. The rosemary and pepper immediately place the coffee in rarefied territory, and they rep signature Bourbon Aji qualities.

Then comes the sweetness.

There's pine nut brittle to be had, the kind you might sprinkle with flaky sea salt and, of course, rosemary. The sweetness isn't over the top, but it's more than enough to balance the coffee's herbal edge. And then comes the grace note: a wallop of muddled raspberry. Without the fruit, the cup would be memorable. With it, it becomes unforgettable.