FIZZY APPLE

Fizzy Apple is a sweet, fruit-forward coffee with green apple, chocolate, and honeyed depth.

This coffee sits in our competition category, chosen to highlight what thoughtful processing can bring to an already solid varietal. A controlled dry anaerobic co-fermentation with green apples introduces bold, layered flavours and a bright, juicy acidity that lifts the cup without overwhelming it. The result is a coffee that’s expressive and complex, yet still cohesive and easy to enjoy.

We find it especially impressive with milk, where the sweetness and fruit character become rounder and more indulgent, though it remains versatile enough to enjoy black as well. Grown at an altitude of 1450-1500m on volcanic ash soils at Finca Santa Mónica, this Castillo microlot showcases modern processing while staying grounded in structure and drinkability.

We first purchased this coffee for Halloween in 2024, drawn to its distinctive flavour and unique profile. When the 2025 harvest surpassed the previous year in quality, we knew it was worth bringing back, this time with the competition stage in mind. Its structure and intensity made it a natural fit for high-level performance. 

Ian Kissick went on to use Fizzy Apple for his milk course at the 2025 World Barista Championship.

The Producer
Jairo Arcila is a third-generation coffee grower from Quindío, Colombia, with over 40 years of experience across both farming and coffee export. 

After a long career managing mills at Racafé, Colombia’s second-largest exporter, he focused fully on growing coffee, purchasing and developing multiple farms across the region. In 2002, he acquired Finca Santa Mónica and replanted it with varieties like Castillo and Costa Rica-95 alongside his wife, Luz Helena Salazar. 

With the rise of specialty coffee, Jairo began planting Gesha, Pink Bourbon, Tabi, and Java, becoming one of the first in the region to grow some of these varieties. By combining deep technical knowledge with experimental processing and sustainable farming practices, he now produces expressive, high-quality microlots.

If you’re after something experimental that’s still approachable, this coffee is a standout.