Marlon Bolaños, Three Coffee Farmers (Washed, Aji)

The Details
Country: Colombia
Producer: Marlon Bolaños
Farm: The Three Coffee Farmers
Varietal: Bourbon Aji
Process: Washed
Notes: Passionfruit, Meyer Lemon, Rose 

Marlon Bolaños is a 21 year old specialty coffee producer from the Huila region of Colombia, an area celebrated for its high elevations and ideal growing conditions. Coming from a multi-generational coffee farming family, Bolaños combines traditional cultivation methods with modern expertise gained through training in cupping and sensory analysis. His work is centered on small, meticulously managed microlots, where attention to detail at every stage—from harvesting to processing—allows for exceptional quality and consistency.

What sets Marlon Bolaños apart is his focus on rare coffee varieties and innovative processing techniques. He cultivates sought-after varietals such as Gesha and Pink Bourbon, known for their delicate aromatics and complex flavor potential. Through controlled fermentation methods, including extended and anaerobic processes, he enhances the natural characteristics of each lot, producing coffees that are vibrant, expressive, and layered. These techniques bring out distinctive notes that can range from tropical fruit and citrus to floral and cocoa-like sweetness.

Coffees from Marlon Bolaños are prized by specialty roasters for their clarity, balance, and unique profiles. Often released in limited quantities, these coffees offer a refined cup experience with bright acidity, silky body, and a lingering finish. 

This Bourbon Aji is crafted through a process as deliberate as it is restrained, allowing the character of the variety to speak with clarity. Each harvest begins with careful selection—only ripe cherries are chosen, then gently floated to reveal and remove imperfections.

Once depulped, the coffee rests in open-air tanks for a brief twelve-hour fermentation. During this time, a subtle oxidation unfolds, as naturally occurring microorganisms begin to shape the coffee’s inner complexity. The process is quiet, almost invisible, yet essential—an unseen transformation that deepens the cup.

Afterward, the beans are washed clean and carried into the drying phase, where time and patience take over. Slowly dried to a precise moisture level, the coffee settles into balance, preserving both its brightness and depth.

The result is a cup that feels composed and expressive—where clarity meets nuance, and every step along the way has been guided with intention.

Preface Notes; or, Why We Chose This Coffee

My phone vibrated with a text message. It was from Michael of Unblended letting me know that a new young producer called Marlon had sent them a small harvest of his Bourbon Aji. “It’s incredible”, Michael told me, “just a truly beautiful coffee.”
One of the benefits of working with companies that either export or import coffees are the relationships that you build with your representative.

When sourcing coffees, it can often be an overwhelming experience given that there are so many options from which we have to choose a reasonable number to sample and taste before making a purchase. Often, we rely on recommendations from importers/exporters, or reputations of the producer, farm, or varietal. 

In many ways, then, this coffee chose us and we are honored to have the opportunity to roast it.