Jose Herman Salazar Bourbon Aji | Colombia

From the producer behind a 6th-place Colombia Cup of Excellence Ají lot. A variety genetically proven to be something no one had seen before. And a washed Colombian that delivers where it counts.

José Herman Salazar grows coffee on Finca La Guaca in Pitalito, southern Huila — one of Colombia's most celebrated growing regions. This is a washed lot of a truly unusual variety: Bourbon Ají, named by José himself after noticing the harvested cherries carried an unmistakable aroma of hot chilli peppers ("ají" means chilli in Spanish).

This particular 35kg lot was sourced via Caravela Coffee through a Vollers warehouse auction. It was vacuum-sealed in Colombia in March 2026, kept fully sealed until it landed with us — properly fresh, properly traceable, and roasted to order from there.

In 2021, one of José's Ají lots entered the Colombia Cup of Excellence — a national competition drawing over 1,000 submissions, cupped a minimum of five times each before the international jury stage. It placed 6th, scoring 89.32. The auction lot subsequently sold at $20.60/lb to some of the most respected specialty buyers in the world, including Onyx Coffee Lab, Passenger Coffee, Black & White Coffee, and Caravela. After questions were raised about the variety, it was genetically tested by RD2 Vision — and found not to be Bourbon at all, but a newly discovered Ethiopian landrace not found in many recorded accessions, including CATIE's international germplasm collection in Costa Rica.

The lot you're buying is a 2025 harvest from the same producer, the same farm, and the same variety family. Not the 2021 competition lot — but the same remarkable story behind it.

Quick Facts

Producer: Jose Herman Salazar — Finca La Guaca
Region: Pitalito, Huila, Colombia
Altitude: 1745 masl
Varietal: Bourbon Ají — commercially known by this name, but genetic testing confirms it is a rare Ethiopian landrace, not Bourbon
Species: Arabica
Process: Washed
Drying: Canopy / solar tent / roof for 18 days
Harvest: September–December 2025
Mitaca: May–August
Screen Size: 15+ | Grade: AAA+
Farm Size: 7.5 hectares, entirely dedicated to coffee
Varieties on Farm: Bourbon Rojo, Bourbon Rosado and Castillo
Packaging: Grain Pro in Jute Sacks
Sourcing Route: Vollers warehouse auction via Caravela Coffee
Vacuum-Sealed: Colombia, March 2026
Lot Size: 35kg — no guarantee of restock
CoE Reference: 2021 Colombia Cup of Excellence, 6th place, 89.32 (competition lot — same producer, farm and variety)
Flavour Profile: Dark chocolate, raspberry, burnt orange, black pepper
Sourcing Partner: Caravela Coffee

Choose Your Roast

Bourbon Ají is a complex, layered variety with real depth. The washed process keeps the cup clean and transparent, letting the character of the variety come through clearly. Pick the roast that suits how you like to drink it:

🔴 Ultra Light — Maximum Complexity
Every nuance of the variety comes forward. Expect floral lift, sharp raspberry and citrus brightness. The black pepper finish is at its most vivid. Best for: pour-over, V60, Chemex.

🟠 Light — Bright & Layered
The raspberry and burnt orange lead, with dark chocolate beginning to emerge. A lively, expressive cup with excellent clarity. Best for: pour-over, filter, AeroPress.

🟤 Medium — Our Recommended Starting Point
Dark chocolate, raspberry and burnt orange come into balance, with the black pepper finish adding intrigue and length. This is where the Bourbon Ají really shows its character. Best for: espresso, milk-based drinks, AeroPress.

🔥 Dark — Rich & Chocolate-Led
Fuller body, deeper chocolate and lower acidity. The pepper finish rounds out into warmth. Best for: espresso, lattes, French press.

Not sure where to start? Go Medium. It's the best balance of everything this coffee has to offer.

The Story

José Herman Salazar originally from Nariño, moved to Huila in search of new opportunities — discovering a passion for coffee while working on a friend's farm. In 2001 he purchased Finca La Guaca, a 7.5-hectare farm he runs today as a family operation alongside his wife Marina, who leads processing and drying, his daughter Blanca, who handles records and farm administration, and his son Johan. The family began focusing seriously on specialty coffee production around 2015.

Around that time, José noticed something unusual: a group of trees on the farm producing cherries with a distinct chilli pepper aroma at harvest. Intrigued, he isolated those trees, processed the coffee from them separately, and — after experimenting to find the best way to handle the variety — entered it into the 2021 Colombia Cup of Excellence. Over 1,000 Colombian producers submit their finest lots each year. His Ají placed 6th, scoring 89.32. The lot sold at auction for $20.60/lb.

The Cup of Excellence organisers had never encountered the variety. After questions were raised, RD2 Vision conducted genetic testing and determined it was not Bourbon at all, but a newly discovered Ethiopian landrace not found in many recorded accessions — including the international germplasm collections held at CATIE in Costa Rica and Cenicafé in Colombia. No one knows exactly how it arrived on the farm. The most likely explanation is that seeds were taken from a regional research lab during a period of political turbulence in Colombia and eventually found their way into unlabelled bags sold to local farmers.

Today, La Guaca is home to Bourbon Ají (Bourbon Rojo and Bourbon Rosado), Pink Bourbon and Castillo. The variety's quality has since attracted wider interest across the Huila region. This 2025 harvest lot — 35kg, washed, AAA+ graded — is a small lot from a producer who has already proven what this variety can do at the highest level. We bought it through a Vollers warehouse auction via Caravela Coffee, vacuum-sealed in Colombia in March 2026 to keep it as fresh as possible until it reached the roastery.

When it's gone, it's gone. This is a finite 35kg lot with no guarantee of restocking.

Best Brewing Methods

Espresso: Medium roast — chocolate and raspberry balance beautifully with excellent body
Milk-Based Drinks: Medium roast — holds up well in milk without losing its character
Pour Over / Filter: Light to Ultra Light — lets the complexity and floral notes shine
AeroPress: Medium roast — clean, sweet, full of depth
French Press: Dark roast — rich and chocolate-forward

Why Choose This Coffee?

✓ Cup of Excellence pedigree. José Salazar's La Guaca Ají lot placed 6th in Colombia 2021, scoring 89.32 — out of over 1,000 submissions.
✓ Serious buyers. The 2021 competition lot was purchased by Onyx Coffee Lab, Passenger Coffee, Black & White Coffee, and Caravela.
✓ Genetically unique. Not a bourbon — a newly discovered Ethiopian landrace confirmed by RD2 Vision genetic testing.
✓ Fully traceable. Named producer, named farm, known harvest. You know exactly what you're drinking.
✓ Washed and clean. A transparent process with the variety doing the heavy lifting.
✓ Auction-sourced and freshly sealed. Won via a Vollers warehouse auction, vacuum-sealed in Colombia since March 2026.
✓ Small lot. 35kg. When it's gone, it's gone.