Aguacate is significant in the history of Ruby as it is one of the first coffees we roasted back in 2013! Jared and one of our roasters, Jesse, had the opportunity to visit Aguacate a few years back. Keep scrolling to read about Jesse’s experience:
Way back in 2014, I remember trying my first bag of Aguacate from Ruby. At the time, I was an admiring fan of this new roaster, their story drew me in, and so did the colorful coffees they were roasting. Coffee from Nariño has long been my favorite in the world. I love the lush, deep fruit sweetness that it tends to have, often reminiscent of blackberry or stone fruits like plum and cherry. To me, the best Nariño coffees were "purple." But then I tried Aguacate and, while it had many of those notes, there was so much more--layers of "green." The crisp juiciness in the cup was just like green apple with a little tangy kiwi as well. I'd never had a coffee from Nariño like it and I was in love. Ruby quickly became my favorite roaster and I'd eventually move up here to Wisconsin to join the team.
In 2018 Jared invited me to accompany him on a trip to Colombia to visit the Aguacate group as well as many of our other partners there. It was incredibly rewarding and humbling to meet such talented producers and see how strongly this community works together to produce some of the most exceptional coffee on the planet. Compared to some of the other farms we visited in Nariño, the farms contributing to Aguacate are small and modest, each employing their own practices to express the unique nuance of this special place. It is this individuality and intentionality which, in harmony and community, creates the coffee I await more eagerly than any other each year.
Perhaps the greatest gift in my professional career has been the tremendous joy I’ve found in sharing this coffee with others. So this year, I thank you for that opportunity and warmly invite you to enjoy a cup of Aguacate with us.
PS. If you really want to experience what Nariño has to offer, I highly recommend trying Tablón de Gómez as well. It is that classic "purple" cup with notes like date, raisin, plum, and blackberry. Once you understand that flavor, you'll see just how special Aguacate is.
- Jesse Myers