Macondo, Quindío
Fine-flavor cacao from Finca Macondo, in the coffee hills above Quimbaya. Grade 1, 94% fully fermented, 88/100 on the tasting table.
The lot at a glance
| Farm | Finca Macondo, Vereda El Laurel, Quimbaya, Quindío, Colombia |
|---|---|
| Varieties | FSV 41 · FEAR 5 (Fedecacao clones) |
| Harvest | October–November 2025 |
| In stock (US) | 1,000 kg |
| Packaging | 25 kg hermetic GrainPro bag |
| Shelf life | 24–36 months, sealed |
| Farm on Instagram | @cacaomacondo |
| Price | $14/kg · $13.25/kg over 200 kg |
What it tastes like
Dried peach, macadamia, hazelnut, caramel, mandarin.
- Dried fruit5Dried peach, dry pine
- Cacao4Chocolatey, toasted nibs
- Nutty4Macadamia, hazelnut
- Sweet4Caramel, honey, raisin
- Acidity3Citric: mandarin, neroli
- Fresh fruit3Yellow fruit
- Floral2Guayabo flower, anise
- Astringency1Essentially absent
Sensory evaluation, Chocolates del Eje S.A.S. (Cacao Trueques), 25 January 2026. Final score 88/100, no defects.
Clean, measured, documented
| Cut test: fully fermented | 94% (2% partial, 4% violet) |
|---|---|
| Mould · slaty · insect damage | 0% · 0% · 0% |
| Moisture | 7.1% |
| Bean index | 1.8 g |
| pH (nib) | 4.4 |
| Protein | 13.7 g/100 g |
| Aflatoxins B1, B2, G1, G2 | < 0.625 µg/kg · compliant |
| Ochratoxin A | < 2.50 µg/kg |
| Pesticide residues (569 screened) | < 0.05 mg/kg · compliant |
| Cadmium · Lead | 0.556 · < 0.025 mg/kg |
| Salmonella · E. coli | Absent/25 g · < 10 CFU/g |
Physical examination report No. 0250 (Dec 2025). Laboratory reports 25-33408, 25-37028, 25-34546, 25-33279, 25-32715, 25-35424 (Sept–Oct 2025). Copies come with every sample.
How the beans are made
- HarvestPods cut at their point, not early, not late, so the pulp has the sugar fermentation needs.
- Pre-drainUp to 18 hours to drain excess moisture and set the bean-to-pulp ratio. Brix measured (target 14–15°) and fresh-bean pH checked (6.8–7.0).
- Days 1–2Anaerobic phase, 48 hours. Yeasts turn sugar into alcohol; the mass reaches 32–40 °C. First turn at 48 hours.
- Days 3–4Aerobic phase. Acetic bacteria take over, the box reaches 45–50 °C and the flavor precursors form.
- Days 5–6Acidity falls and the desired flavors come through. Fermentation ends by smell and temperature.
- Drying4–7 days. Turned every 30 minutes on day one, hourly on day two, every 90 minutes after, to 6.8–7% moisture. Final pH checked.
One tested profile, to compare against your own
Macondo is a thin-husked bean. The roaster who tested it, Edwin Calderón of Cacao Trueques, kept it below 125 °C (257 °F): past that you heat the cocoa butter directly, and pay for it in flavor and in mill fluidity.
The bright, slightly citric note is the variety, not a fermentation fault. Roasting harder to chase it away only stiffens the mass. Plan on 20+ hours of grinding and conching to round it out.
| Oven: drying | 15 min at 95–100 °C |
|---|---|
| Oven: development | 120–125 °C, ~28 min total |
| Drum: charge | 125 °C, after a 180 °C+ purge |
| Drum: hold | 100 °C for 10–15 min, until crunchy |
| Drum: drop | 125 °C at ~25 min, under 60 rpm |
| Test results | 3.4% roast loss · 75% nib yield |
Airflow settings for forced-air drums are not tested yet. If you work them out, we would love to publish your numbers, with credit.
Roast it yourself
A free 1 kg sample with every lab report above. Shipping on us.
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