ALTURA & AROMA — Moka Fermented

Santander, Colombia · 1,750–1,850m · 

Before Panama. Before Ethiopia's specialty renaissance. Before the first auction, the first barista competition, the first SCA score — there was Moka.

The Moka variety takes its name from the ancient port of Al-Mukha in Yemen, the harbor through which coffee first traveled to Asia, Europe, and eventually the world, centuries ago. It is one of the oldest and most genetically pure varieties of Arabica in existence. Its grains are small, round, and delicate — low yielding, demanding, and rarely found in commercial production. Growing Moka is a choice that prioritizes quality over volume, complexity over convenience.

At Altura & Aroma, the Moka is fermented — a decision that takes this ancient variety and coaxes from it something it doesn't easily give up. The anaerobic process unlocks layers that a conventional washed Moka would keep hidden: the base of dark chocolate and caramel opens into herbal notes and ripe yellow fruit, with a citrus acidity and a finish of orange peel that makes this one of the most textured and surprising cups in the collection. It is the coffee for someone who already knows specialty and wants to go further.

There is no other Moka in the COF& marketplace. This is the only one.

The farm behind Altura & Aroma is known in Santander simply as La Finca del Doctor. The owner is a physician — and that formation is not incidental to what happens on this farm. When he noticed that coffee takes exactly nine months to grow from flower to harvest, the same as a human pregnancy, something clicked. He divided the growing cycle into three trimesters and applied a different nutrient protocol to each stage of development — the same way a clinician would approach any biological process that unfolds over time.

First trimester: the flower becomes a fruit. Second: the seed fills with sugar and structure. Third: the flavors concentrate and the cherry reaches its peak. Each stage receives exactly what it needs, at exactly the right moment. Nothing is left to chance.

The result is measurable: two varieties from this farm have won the Best Cup Award in Santander. International buyers in Japan order every harvest. The National Coffee Federation selected this farm as a reference model of agricultural innovation for their national television program, Profesor Yarumo. And Rainforest Alliance has certified the farm's environmental practices.

Ciencia, origen y propósito en cada taza. Science, origin, and purpose in every cup.

In the cup: Dark chocolate · Caramel · Herbal · Yellow fruit · Citric acidity · Orange peel finish · Medium body

Best brewed with: Chemex · V60 — the clean filtration lets the herbal and citrus layers come through without interference

 

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Specialty coffee · Moka variety · Anaerobic fermented process · Medium roast · 340g · Santander, Colombia

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