Regional Details:
El Macizo Colombiano is the geographic breakpoint where the Andes mountain range splits into three distinct ranges and forms the water source for five of the most important rivers in Colombia. In English, Macizo means “solid’’ or “massive” and that is exactly what we have come to expect of Royal’s annual supply from the municipality San Agustin in the department of Huila. The town of San Agustin is quaint and the surrounding countryside is lush green year-round. There is even a UNESCO world heritage site to mark the largest collection of pre-colombian megalithic sculptures in South America.
Sourcing Details:
San Agustin is also a favorite place for exporters to invest. Inconexus, a Colombian exporter company and trusted Royal partner, was one of the first export companies to specifically market natural processed coffee from the region using a hub management system wherein one producer was provided technical support to help improve coffee processing methods and then building on the experience of one producer to expand to neighboring producers. This particular lot comes from a 10 acre farm called La Cabaña, where Inconexus introduced the Gesha variety to the owner Luis Alejandro Ortega.
Processing Details:
During the harvest, Luis carefully sorts and floats cherries to remove less dense and damaged beans. Then the cherries are macerated for 48 hours in sealed bags before depulping and fermenting again in sealed bags for another 36 hours. Next the coffee in parchment is placed on raised beds with a mixed exposure to sun and shade to slowly and evenly reduce moisture over a period of 18 to 22 days.
Exporting Details:
Inconexus provides a centralized warehouse to store dried coffee and a cupping lab where producers get immediate feedback regarding the quality of their coffee from a trained cupper born and raised in San Agustin. Inconexus also moves the coffee across the country along rough roads to a dry mill where the coffee is prepared for export. Throughout the post harvest process, Inconexus ensures traceability and quality control for exporting to the international market, which means better income reaches farmers so they can reinvest in their farms and strengthen their families’ livelihoods.
