Elias & Shady Bayter - Vergel Sidra Honey 120g

*These coffees are extremely limited and may be delayed in roasting until I have enough confirmed orders to sell. These greens have been frozen at peak freshness and I cannot risk integrity of the coffee until orders are confirmed*

The folks at Forest Coffee are coffee growers, exporters, importers, and project developers from Colombia, with their agricultural journey beginning in 1995, growing avocados.

But after a drop in price and challenges in the market, in 2010 started growing coffee at their farm with Caturra, at El Vergel Estate in Tolima. By 2015, they had successfully cultivated their first varietals. Later in 2017, after facing challenges in the local market, Martha, Shady, and Elías began searching for innovative ways to add value to their coffees and bridge the gap between producers and roasters.

Forest Coffee was born in 2019 from a vision to unlock the true potential of Colombian coffee by embracing innovation in processing, education, and sustainability. Their mission is to connect coffee growers directly with international markets, ensuring fair prices and transparency. Today, in 2026, Forest Coffee is a thriving network of 250 coffee-growing families, with four major projects across Colombia, a dedicated team of 25+, and a global community. Their journey is a testament to the power of innovation and community in transforming the coffee industry for the better.

This  Sidra showcases a carefully controlled honey process with carbonic maceration, designed to highlight clarity, sweetness, and structured fermentation complexity.

The process begins with freshly harvested cherries, meticulously selected at peak ripeness. The cherries are placed whole into sealed fermentation tanks and flushed with CO2 to create an oxygen-free environment, initiating a carbonic maceration fermentation lasting 72 hours. Throughout this stage, temperature and internal pressure are closely monitored to ensure a slow, even fermentation that enhances aromatic intensity while preserving varietal character.

Once fermentation is complete, the cherries are carefully depulped, leaving the mucilage intact. The parchment coffee with mucilage is then transferred directly to raised drying beds, where it undergoes a controlled honey-style drying process.

Drying takes place over approximately 20 days, allowing for gradual moisture reduction and stable flavor development. During this period, the coffee is regularly turned and closely monitored to ensure uniform drying and to prevent unwanted
fermentation or defects.

This deliberate combination of carbonic maceration fermentation and extended  honeydrying results in a coffee with pronounced fruit expression, layered sweetness, and a clean, elegant finish capturing the unique potential of the Sidra variety.

We taste:

When hot a subtle but beautiful bouquet of white and yellow florals greets the nose with a backbone of green apples and melon aromas. First sip present sparkling acidity and green grape sweetness with a pronounced delicate but coating chamomile flavor. Sweetness washes over the palate in a silky manner like honey syrup and mango nectar. Florality is subtle but present the entire cup and this flavor profile is stable through the entire drinking journey.