Buesaco, Nariño has been racking up accolades with multiple top finishes in Colombia’s Cup of Excellence auctions over the last few years. Some credit is owed to the volcanos (Doña Juana in the north and Galeras in the south), which are responsible for many of the rich mineral traits found in the soil composition. Nariño’s proximity to the equator means intense exposure to the sun (relatively constant and powerful year-round), which influences the cherry maturation rate. Buesaco, in particular, has an interesting micro-climate wherein warm air rises from deep canyons at night and acts like a protective blanket for the coffee plants. As a result of these combined attributes, coffee plants passively absorb the sun’s energy during the day and then come alive at night when the conditions are less harsh. This translates into concentrated flowering and long cherry maturation periods. All of these factors can produce exceptional coffee but there is a human factor that cannot be overlooked. This particular lot was cultivated and processed by Libardo López, who owns and manages a 9-acre farm called La Cruz in the community of Medina Espejo. Inconexus has helped Libardo innovate his processing protocol. After ripe cherries have been carefully hand sorted and floated to remove less dense beans they are macerated in sealed grainpro bags for 65 hours, then depulped, and fermented again with the mucilage in sealed containers for 48 hours. Next the coffee is washed once and gently dried to dry on raised beds for 25 days.
