Tropical Thunder

Tropical Thunder doesn't ease in. Ripe passionfruit and pink guava arrive in one electric burst, a warming spiced-rum sweetness builds through the middle, and delicate lavender lifts the finish.

This is a rare one — Yellow Sudan Rume, an unusual yellow-cherry mutation of the prized variety, grown by Jairo Arcila at Santa Monica in Quindío. The cherries pass through 45 hours of aerobic fermentation before a slow dry on raised beds.

We've roasted it for filter — bold, composed and impossible to ignore.

A rare Yellow Sudan Rume from Jairo Arcila.

Jairo Arcila is one of Colombia's most celebrated producers, and his experimental lots are why we keep going back. This exceptional Yellow Sudan Rume — a rare yellow-cherry mutation of the prized variety — grows at Santa Monica in Quindío's rich volcanic soils, between 1,400 and 1,450 metres. Once harvested, ripe cherries undergo an extended natural process beginning with 45 hours of aerobic fermentation, then dry slowly on raised beds under constant turning and monitoring. Cofinet, our import partner, work directly with Jairo and his family — you might recognise his name from Ultra Violet, Starburst Soda and Velvet Berry.
Jairo Arcila · Quindío, Colombia