Waves On Mars

We’ve always loved coffees that feel like discoveries. Sourced from the biodiverse hills of Cauca, this experimental Colombian lot reminded us of something like searching for water on Mars... uncovering a whole new dimension of brightness, complexity, and life. Vibrant, layered, and wildly expressive, it’s a forward-thinking cup crafted for a brilliant filter experience and an unexpectedly stunning espresso.

ORIGIN: COLOMBIA

NOTES: ORANGE, SWEET BERRIES, NATURAL WINE

PROCESS: HONEY

ALTITUDE: 1850 M.A.S.L.

VARIETY: CASTILLO

ROASTED FOR: FILTER (& ESPRESSO)*

*While roasted primarily for filter, this coffee pulls an incredible, modern espresso. It is not your classic style—instead, expect a wildly juicy shot with a great mouthfeel and a layered, lingering aftertaste.

WAVES ON MARS: Bridging Earth and Imagination

This coffee is an invitation to step into the unknown and let it take you. Imagine what waves on Mars must look and feel like—surreal, vivid, and beautifully untamed. "Waves on Mars" is our tribute to that exact feeling, capturing a sense of endless curiosity in every sip. Grown in the rich volcanic terroir of Finca Santa Bárbara and meticulously processed at Área 18, this lot is shaped by imagination and discovery at every step.

It is a coffee that bridges the grounding reality of earth with the boundless possibilities of the future. Through their visionary collaboration, the producers are pioneering a zero-waste, carbon-neutral circular economy that completely reimagines what coffee processing can be. Experimental fermentation and volcanic soil come together to create a cup that is brilliantly layered and wildly complex. Taste the vibrant collision of traditional farming and modern innovation, and let your imagination ride the wave.

THE ORIGIN

Colombia, Finca Santa Barbara / Area 18

The department of Cauca, located in southwestern Colombia where the Andean mountain ranges converge, is celebrated for its high-altitude plateaus and volcanic, mineral-rich soils. Just twenty minutes from the historic "White City" of Popayán, Finca Santa Bárbara sits at 1,850 meters above sea level in the hills of Timbío. This 14-hectare estate is a true haven of biodiversity, where coffee grows beneath a protective canopy of native shade trees. Life on the farm follows the deep, natural rhythms of the land. The team utilizes meticulous practices like the "Re-Re" method—carefully collecting fallen and overripe cherries to naturally control pests like the coffee berry borer—and enriches the soil with organic compost made from coffee byproducts. Finca Santa Bárbara is designed as a holistic ecosystem, offering ecological trails that honor the natural beauty of Cauca while producing spectacular, terroir-driven coffees.

THE PROCESS

Honey process, elevated by modern science. The journey begins with highly skilled pickers selecting only the deepest red, perfectly ripe cherries. After a rigorous water-sorting process called "Balceo" to remove defective fruit, the cherries are immediately loaded into ventilated, refrigerated trucks. This crucial step halts unwanted microbial activity, ensuring the cherries arrive pristine at Área 18’s advanced processing facility within 24 hours. For this Honey process, the cherry skin is removed, but the sticky, sugar-rich mucilage is left clinging to the bean. Drying coffee in Cauca is notoriously difficult due to extreme humidity and heavy rainfall. To overcome this, Área 18 employs highly innovative electric dehydrators. Using an intelligent, climate-controlled combination of heat, cold air, and dehumidification, the coffee is dried evenly and cleanly. It is then rested in GrainPro-lined fique bags to stabilize. This cutting-edge method beautifully preserves the mucilage's sweet esters, resulting in a wildly complex cup bursting with notes of natural wine, sweet berries, and bright orange.

THE VARIETY

The Castillo varietal is a cornerstone of Colombian coffee resilience. Developed over decades by Cenicafé, Colombia’s national coffee research center, Castillo was bred to combat coffee leaf rust—a devastating fungal disease—while maintaining the high cup quality of its Caturra lineage. While it is highly prized by farmers for its hardiness and high yields, Castillo truly shines in the specialty realm when cultivated at extreme altitudes and processed with exacting precision. At 1,850 meters on Finca Santa Bárbara, the cool climate slows the cherry's maturation, allowing the Castillo plant to develop dense, complex sugars and organic acids. Combined with Área 18's masterful, temperature-controlled Honey processing, this resilient variety defies expectations, yielding an incredibly vibrant and fruit-forward profile. It is proof that with thoughtful agronomy and visionary processing, a robust, sustainable varietal can produce a world-class tasting experience.

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PACKAGING

We believe that the care dedicated to sourcing and roasting should extend to the bag you take home. Our coffee is protected in specialty bags sourced from our partners in the EU. These bags are crafted using mono-plastic materials, making them fully recyclable—a critical choice that reduces waste compared to standard multi-layer coffee bags. Furthermore, we ensure that the environmental impact of producing and shipping these bags is completely addressed through CO2 compensation programs. For our labels, we partner with a Danish company to print locally on environmentally friendly label foil. This ensures our labels are produced nearby and use material specifically chosen for its lower environmental footprint, allowing every element of your coffee experience to align with our commitment to quality and sustainable awareness.