Ever stop to think about all the variables that factor into creating a distinct, complex, clean and consistent regional blend? Here is one you will want to dissect with one part terroir (from the coveted department of Huila), one part processing innovation (double fermentation), and one part small farm collaboration (the backbone of Colombian production). This traceable community blend with a vibrant regional profile and unique processing character was produced from the efforts of 50 producers committed to following a specific processing protocol (double fermented) to draw-out a pronounced fruit forward profile.
Using their own micro-mill, each producer carefully harvested cherries, fermented the cherries for 72 hours in sealed bags, then depulped and fermented in tanks for another 48 hours. After this prolonged two-step process of fermenting, the coffee was washed and then gently dried on raised beds.
The harmony between these producers in post-harvest practices was impressively precise to achieve such a clean and consistent blend. An export company called Mastercol provides crucial cupping evaluations to ensure the resulting harmony and character, as well as, logistical support for things like warehousing and milling the coffee before export to the international market, which means better income reaches farmers so they can reinvest in their farms and strengthen their families’ livelihoods.
