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Origin: Colombia
Region: El Tambo, Cauca
Farm: El Helechal
Varieties: Castillo
Altitude: 2000 MASL
Process: Washed Process
Flavor: Black Cherry + Fudge
Every year one of our importer partners, Cafe Imports, in conjunction with one of their export partners, Banexport, hosts a producer coffee competition in Colombia. This event allows people all along the supply chain to get together and celebrate excellence in coffee production. Over 1000 microlots from different producers are evaluated, scored, and sent for auction to green buyers and coffee roasters. Although we were not able to attend the competition this year, we were lucky enough to be able to get our hands on a lot from one of the finalists, and we are very excited about it!
This coffee comes from the El Helechal farm, which is owned by Diomar Bambague Ocoró and her husband. Together they run the 2.5 hectare farm and have instilled coffee culture in their children, making it a family business. As the original coffee trees have gotten older on the farm, they have been replacing them with Castillo and Colombia varieties. Since the nearby village is small, they are able to find seasonal pickers in town during harvest. They practice selective harvesting every 20 days between April and July, picking only the ripest red cherries. The cherries are then weighed and pulped the same day, after which they are left to ferment for 18 hours, then finally washed 3 times to help remove any defects. Once washed, the coffee is dried for 15 days in a greenhouse and moved 4 times per day to maintain uniform drying. The result is a rich and complex cup profile. Look for a syrupy body and flavors of black cherry, chocolate fudge, and cola, alongside a light medley of tropical fruits. It is clear why this coffee was a Best Cup finalist - it is not only a shining example of the workhorse Castillo variety, but is an overall excellent Colombian microlot. Enjoy!
All coffees are available in whole bean only.
We roast and ship on Mondays and Thursdays. Orders placed Thursday through Sunday at midnight will roast and ship on Monday. Orders placed Monday through Wednesday at midnight will roast and ship on Thursday.
