Colombia | Santa Monica | Jairo Arcila | Castillo Castillo Honey Watermelon Co-Ferment
Upcoming Roast / 1000g
$135.00 AUD
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Colombia | Santa Monica | Jairo Arcila | Castillo Castillo Honey Watermelon Co-Ferment
$135.00 AUD
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80 Somersby Falls RD, Somersby NSW
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This coffee’s roasted in our filter style — meaning it’s designed to shine as black coffee rather than with milk. That doesn’t mean you have to brew it as a pour-over though. You can make it however you like — espresso, moka pot, AeroPress or anything in between. We simply roast it a little lighter to highlight the bean’s origin flavours giving you a cup that’s clean, vibrant and full of clarity.
Lighter roasting keeps more of the natural acidity and sweetness intact which makes for a beautifully expressive black coffee. This coffee is best enjoyed without milk as it’s too acidic and the flavours don’t pair well once milk is added.
If you prefer your milk coffee with richer caramel, toffee or nutty flavours you might enjoy our espresso range more. Those roasts are taken a little darker to bring out deeper sweetness and balance beautifully with milk.
Origin and Sourcing
Varietal:
Castillo
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Castillo is a Colombian-developed hybrid, designed for rust resistance and high yield. It includes genetics from Caturra and Timor Hybrid. While early versions were criticized for mediocre cup quality, modern strains can be quite good, with fruit-forward and balanced flavors, especially when grown at high altitudes.
Processing Method:
Washed
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In the washed process, coffee cherries are depulped to remove the skin and pulp, then fermented to eliminate the mucilage before thorough washing. This method produces a clean, bright cup with pronounced acidity and clarity, highlighting the coffee’s intrinsic flavors. It’s widely used in regions with ample water resources, such as Colombia and East Africa.
Producer:
Jairo Arcila
Farm:
Santa Monica
Region / Area:
Quindio, Armenia
Altitude:
1450–1500 MASL
Sourcing Partner:
Cofinet
Roast Details
Roast Style:
Filter
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Filter roasts are lighter with a shorter development time, designed to highlight clarity, acidity, and fruit-driven complexity — perfect for black coffee and filter methods. These roasts can also be used for espresso, especially if you enjoy brighter, more vibrant shots. Try longer brew ratios or turbo shots to tame acidity and bring out sweetness. Espresso roasts, on the other hand, are developed further to encourage deeper caramelization and Maillard reactions, producing richer, chocolatey, and nutty flavours that shine in milk and offer a fuller-bodied espresso.
We don't usually roast omni (one roast for all brew methods) — in our experience, it tends to be a compromise that's average at both. But occasionally, for larger lots or versatile blends, we may do an omni roast to suit both black and milk drinkers.
Roasted On Machine:
Roest L100 Ultra
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The ROEST L100 Ultra is the most advanced sample roaster in its class, combining the precision of the L100 Plus with next-generation hardware upgrades and new airflow technology. A redesigned, fully perforated drum with reversible rotation introduces a counterflow mode that channels air directly through the bean mass—allowing faster, more efficient heat transfer and enabling lighter roasts or second crack in under 90 seconds. With upgraded 5 GHz Wi-Fi, a faster processor, built-in pressure sensor, and refreshed UI matching the P3000, the Ultra offers better batch consistency (even at 50g), improved airflow calibration, and lower energy consumption. It’s a serious tool for roasters wanting unmatched control, speed, and repeatability—while still fitting neatly on the benchtop.
Taste Profile
Tasting Notes:
Watermelon, mint, lime and chocolate.
Cupping Score:
88.0
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Our coffees are scored using the Specialty Coffee Association (SCA) protocol by Q Grader–certified cuppers. A score of 80+ qualifies as specialty grade — clean, well-processed, and high quality. 80–84 coffees are more common and often used in blends. 85–87 are brighter, more complex, and better suited for high-quality filter brews. 88–90 are exceptional, and 90+ coffees are ultra-rare, often Cup of Excellence (COE) winners — the best in the world.
Suitable with Milk?
No
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Some of our light roasted filter coffees are bursting with bright, fruity acidity — think citrus, berries, or tropical notes. While these flavours shine on their own, they don't always play well with milk. The acidity can clash with milk's natural sweetness and creaminess, sometimes creating sour or chalky flavours.
Decaffeinated?
No
Import into Beanconqueror
Colombia | Santa Monica | Jairo Arcila | Castillo Castillo Honey Watermelon Co-Ferment - When is peak flavour?
Medium Roast - Roasted on Roest L100 Ultra
Jairo Arcila – Santa Mónica
Jairo Arcila is a third-generation grower from Quindío with more than 40 years in coffee. Alongside his sons Carlos and Felipe — founders of the exporter Cofinet — he farms a small network of estates around Armenia, of which Santa Mónica is one. This lot is Castillo, grown at 1450–1500 metres in the region's deep volcanic-ash soils.
Watermelon Co-Fermentation
Only the ripest cherries were selected and moved in sealed tanks to preserve freshness. After floating off the low-density beans, the cherries underwent a 48-hour dry anaerobic fermentation, during which fresh watermelon was added to the tanks. The watermelon lends a refreshing, juicy sweetness and subtle fruitiness before the coffee is pulped, washed and dried for around ten days on raised beds.
Region
Armenia sits in the heart of Quindío, part of Colombia's Eje Cafetero. Annual rainfall of 1900–2200 mm and mineral-rich volcanic soils help the cherries build the high sugar levels that carry expressive processed lots like this one.
About the Castillo Variety
Castillo was developed by Colombia's national coffee research centre, Cenicafé, and released in 2005. Derived from a cross of Caturra and the Timor Hybrid, it was bred for strong resistance to coffee leaf rust and dependable productivity — a large part of why it is now planted so widely across the country.
In a straightforward washed lot Castillo is clean, sweet and balanced. Here it becomes the canvas for the watermelon co-ferment, holding a juicy, syrupy sweetness with lifted mint and lime and a soft chocolate close.