Pink Bourbon and Colombian Microlots: How to Source Them in Europe

Pink Bourbon and small Colombian microlots are where many specialty roasters look when they want a coffee that stands out on the menu. The question is rarely whether they are worth it. It is how to buy them in Europe in volumes that fit a small or mid-sized roastery, without committing to a full container.

What Pink Bourbon Brings to the Cup

Pink Bourbon is named after the colour of its ripe cherry, which turns a pale pink to orange instead of the usual deep red. The producers we work with keep it as its own lot rather than blending it in.

In the cup it usually leans floral and tea-like, with bright red fruit. Tulameen shows that clearly. It is a washed Pink Bourbon grown by Martha Solarte at Finca La Dulzura in La Union, Nariño, at 1640 masl, and it cups with raspberry, florals, black tea, chamomile and vanilla.

Microlots: Small by Design

A microlot is a coffee kept separate from start to finish: one farm or a small group of producers, one picking, one process. That separation is what makes the profile traceable and repeatable enough to put a name on a bag.

Outside Pink Bourbon, the same logic applies to Mara des Bois, a honey-processed Castillo from Julio Bastidas at Finca San Isidro Labrador in La Union, Nariño, with strawberry and black cherry. It also applies to Hannah's Choice Mitaca, a washed Caturra from Gustavo Zuluaga at El Caney Estate in Belén de Umbría, Risaralda, with red currant and milk chocolate. These are coffees for roasters who want a distinct origin story without moving into experimental territory on every lot.

Harvest Windows: Principal and Mitaca

Colombia has two harvests a year: the main crop and the smaller mitaca. Timing shifts by region and altitude, which is why fresh Colombian coffee can reach Europe more than once a year.

For roasters this matters in a practical way. Microlots are limited by definition, and some are reserved before they reach Europe. Knowing which harvest a lot comes from helps you plan when to taste, when to reserve, and when to expect fresh crop.

Reserving Small Volumes

You do not need a container to work with Colombian microlots. You can order from a single bag, and our bags are 70 kg. Tulameen, Mara des Bois and Hannah's Choice Mitaca are available to reserve now (pre-order), so you can secure a lot before it is gone instead of hoping it is still there later.

Coffee is released Ex-Works from NL and BE. Within the Netherlands we deliver bags to your roastery, or you can collect them yourself. Roasters who want a lot again next season can reserve ahead in the same way.

How Samples Work

The easiest first step is to cup the coffee yourself. Professional roasters can request up to three samples of 100 g each, or ask our team to pick a selection that matches their roastery. We ship samples the same or the next working day.

Once you have cupped them, we can talk volume, timing and delivery for the lots that work for you.

Joram Bennekers
Founder & Trader, Origin Bridge