From Huila to Australia: How Brayan Alvear and Forest Coffee Are Redefining Colombian Single Origins

Here at Stoka Coffee Roasters, we are always on the hunt for coffees that push boundaries, honor the land, and tell an incredible story. Our latest single origin release does exactly that, bridging the gap between a young producer’s vision in Colombia and your morning brew here in Australia.

Meet the Colombia Brayan Alvear Passion Fruit Co-Ferment—a coffee that completely blurs the line between a traditional morning cup and a vibrant summer infusion.

The Legacy of Acevedo, Huila

To understand this coffee, we have to travel to the heart of Acevedo, Huila. Perched high in the Andean mountains of southwest Colombia, Huila is legendary in the specialty coffee world. The region is blessed with a unique microclimate: dramatic elevation changes, rich volcanic soil, and a perfect balance of warm days and cool night winds blowing through the river valleys.

This climate naturally slows down the maturation of the coffee cherries, allowing them to pack in a dense concentration of natural sugars and complex acids. In Huila, coffee isn't just an export; it’s a generational legacy.

For producer Brayan Alvear, that legacy started at just 13 years old, learning the rhythms of the land under his father's guidance. Today, Brayan has transformed that personal passion into a powerhouse community project. He now leads a collective of 60 local growers, ensuring they receive premium prices for their meticulous harvests while elevating the entire municipality's standing on the global specialty coffee stage.

Pushing the Boundaries: The Wild World of Co-Fermentation

This is not your traditional, everyday Colombian profile. To bring something truly show-stopping to the Australian specialty scene, Brayan teamed up with the processing innovators at Forest Coffee and the state-of-the-art Ancla processing station.

Together, they executed a highly technical, hyper-controlled fermentation recipe that locks in an unbelievable flavor profile:

1. The Anaerobic Rest: The hand-picked Caturra and Castillo cherries undergo an initial 48-hour anaerobic (oxygen-free) whole-cherry rest. This kickstarts the breakdown of sugars and develops a deep, complex base sweetness.

2. The Passion Fruit Co-Fermentation: The cherries are then depulped and placed into fermentation tanks for five full days alongside real, vibrant passion fruit pulp. The ambient yeasts and bacteria feast on the combined sugars, infusing the bean's porous structure with incredible tropical characteristics.

3. The Stabilization: After processing, the coffee is stabilized for 30 days. This crucial resting period ensures the volatile flavor compounds settle, locking in the sweetness and ensuring it tastes just as vibrant when it lands on our roasting deck in Australia.

Roasting at STOKA Coffee Roasters: Honoring the Craft

When these green beans arrived at our roastery, we knew we had to treat them with a gentle touch. Co-fermented coffees require precise heat management; because the sugars have been highly developed during the five-day fermentation, they can easily scorch or over-caramelize.

We opted for a light-to-medium roasting profile designed to highlight the intense fruit forwardness without letting roast notes overshadow the farmer's hard work. We applied a quick, efficient application of heat early in the roast, followed by a swift development phase to preserve the bright, sparkling acidity and clean finish.

Flavor Profile

What to expect in the cup: Think Passionfruit Soda, vibrant Pineapple, and an intense, lingering tropical sweetness. It’s juicy, effervescent, and incredibly refreshing.

How to Brew It At Home

To help you unlock the full nuance of Brayan’s incredible processing work, our roasting team has dialed in two distinct recipes for you to try at home.

The Espresso Recipe

For a thick, syrupy, and punchy shot that tastes like a tropical fruit concentrate.

• Dose: 18g (in a standard double basket)

• Yield: 36g

• Time: 22 Seconds

The Filter Recipe (V60 / Kalita Wave)

For a clean, elegant cup that truly mimics a refreshing summer infusion.

• Ratio: 1:16 (e.g., 15g coffee to 240g water)

• Grind: Medium - Coarse

• Water Temp: 94°C

• Total Brew Time: 3:00 mins

Experience Innovation in a Cup

Brayan Alvear and the Forest Coffee team are proving that the future of Colombian coffee is bright, bold, and experimental. Bags of this incredible single origin are now live on our online store and on the shelves at the roastery—but stock is limited due to the small-batch nature of the lot.