Yinyini Avilez Panela Process

On his beautiful farm high above the town of Planadas, Yinyini cultivates an impressive range of varietals, including Bourbon, Caturra, and Pink Fruits. It’s one of the healthiest organically run farms we’ve encountered—marked by rich, dense soil, vibrant trees, and consistent rainfall that supports steady water access.

In addition to coffee, Yinyini also grows and processes panela (raw sugarcane). By pressing and gently boiling the cane juice, he produces a traditional sweetener widely used throughout the region. Unlike refined sugar, panela retains natural minerals and nutrients, offering a more complex, unprocessed sweetness.

For this lot, Yinyini begins by depulping the coffee, then introduces panela from his farm into GrainPro bags, where it ferments alongside the coffee for 24–48 hours. After fermentation, the coffee is washed as usual at his station.

The result is a cup that is intensely sweet, with a full, syrupy body and a remarkably clean finish. Despite the co-fermentation, the profile remains precise and expressive—without any heavy-handed or artificial character. This is our second year collaborating with Yinyini on this process, and next harvest we plan to experiment further by developing a “starter” to push the cup profile into even more dynamic and complex territory while maintaining its clarity.