El Placer / Sebastián Ramírez / Pink Fruits Co Fermented 
 
In the cup, Pink Fruits from El Placer is intensely expressive yet structured. It opens with notes of watermelon, jasmine, and red apple, supported by layers of candy like watermelon sweetness. As it develops, rosé, honey, guava, lychee, dragon fruit, and cucumber emerge, followed by a subtle floral finish that adds balance and depth.
 
This coffee comes from El Placer Farms in Quindío, Colombia, produced by Sebastián Ramírez, a fourth generation coffee producer widely known for his work in advanced fermentation and co fermentation. At El Placer, Sebastián approaches processing with a high level of precision, using controlled anaerobic fermentation, carbonic style environments, and carefully designed co fermentation methods to expand flavour expression while preserving structure and clarity in the cup. His work has made El Placer one of the most recognized producers for expressive, competition style coffees that feel intentional rather than chaotic.
 
This Pink Fruits lot is a Caturra variety processed as a honey co ferment, built on a two stage anaerobic fermentation. First, whole cherries are fermented for approximately 120 hours in sealed tanks with wine yeast, encouraging ester development and deeper fruit aromatics. The coffee is then pulped and undergoes a second 72 hour anaerobic fermentation in mucilage with CO₂ injection, together with watermelon and fruit glucose.
 
After fermentation, the coffee is moved to the drying phase, where it is carefully controlled for five days with constant agitation and temperature management. This step stabilizes moisture and helps preserve the coffee’s vivid fruit character over time.
 
What makes this coffee especially interesting is how El Placer frames the idea behind it. It “emerges from a deliberate interaction between technical precision and sensory exploration,” where a honey co fermentation with pink fruits carefully modulates microbial activity and reshapes the coffee’s natural expression without obscuring its origin. Here, fermentation is not treated as a gimmick, but as a tool, what they describe as “a sensory amplifier rather than a dominant force,” preserving clarity while extending aromatic complexity.
 
Overall, the profile is bright, silky, and dynamic, fruit forward but controlled, with layered sweetness, lifted florals, and a clean, refreshing finish rather than a heavy or overly fermented cup.