EARLY SUMMER BLEND

Uganda Kapchorwa
Colombia Inza Cauca
Mexico Finca Guadalupe Zaju
Brazil Sao Silvestre

Flavour: Fruit cocktail, strawberry chocolate, minty finish
Acidity: Approachable, wine grapes
Body: Medium, syrupy
Roast: Light—medium
Suitable for: Mokapot, espresso, pourover, Aeropress

Uganda Kapchorwa – red cherries sorting

UGANDA – KAPCHORWA

Owner: 997 farmers
Town: Kapchorwa district, Sipi sub-county
Varietal(s): SL28, SL 34, & some SL14, Nyasaland & Bugisu
Processing: Fully washed & dried on raised beds
All participating farmers are smallholders whose families have grown coffee for generations. The average farm size is only around 1 hectare, and on this most families also farm a variety of subsistence crops such as matooke (cooking banana) and fruit trees, beans, peas, millet and coco yam. Although matooke is also an important cash crop, coffee is the more valuable source of income for most families, particularly for livelihood improvement investment. It represents about 77% of the farm acreage and provides the cash flow required for large investments (school fees, livestock, land, house construction etc.), whereas matooke provides week-on-week regular cash flow for smaller day-to-day purchases.
Environmental protection is very important, as well. The Kapchorwa area borders the Mt. Elgon national park. Park boundaries are clearly indicated and guarded by the Uganda Wildlife Authority, but Kyagalanyi know that ecological preservation across the board is very important for long-term sustainability.

Colombia Inza Cauca – Coffee Cherries

COLOMBIA INZA CAUCA

Association: Asociación de Productores de Café del Oriente Caucano (ASORCAFE)
Varietals(s): Mostly Caturra (70%+) w/Colombia & Castillo
Processing: Fully washed & dried on parabolic and raised beds
Altitude: 1 500 – 1 800 masl
Owner: 52 small holder farmers
Town: Pedregal and San Antonio
Region: Inzá, Cauca

The municipality of Inzá is located in the corner of the Department of Cauca, bordering with Tolima and Huila and looking out to the west over the Pacific Ocean. Situated on the “Macizo Colombiano” (the Colombian Plateau), which surrounds the high peaks of Tolima and Huila, the region is an important source of water and wildlife, in addition to being prime coffee growing land.
The association of coffee growers, ASORCAFE, was founded in 2004 by 10 coffee growers with an entrepreneurial spirit who were tired of private parchment buyers who were paying them below national prices. The region’s violent past, with a heavy presence of FARC guerrillas, had historically prevented the FNC (Colombia’s excellent national coffee board) and specialty-focused exporters from establishing a presence in the region. As violence has diminished, it has enabled the growers in the region to seek increased access to markets for quality, not only taking advantage of the region’s wonderful coffee-growing conditions but also the economic resource that nearby tourist destinations bring (for instance, the World Heritage Site “Parque Nacional Arqueológico de Tierradentro”).

Mexico Zaju – coffee covered hills

MEXICO – FINCA GUADALUPE ZAJU

Owner: Eduardo ‘Teddy’ Esteve
Town: Toquian Grande & Pavencul, Soconusco Region
Varietal(s): 30% Caturra, 50% Marsellesa, 20% Hybrids
Processing: Fully washed & dried in guardiolas

Beautiful Finca Guadalupe Zaju occupies 310 hectares right on Chiapas, Mexico’s famed ‘Ruta de Cafe’. This ‘Route of Coffee’ rides along the Guatemalan border, north from the border town of Tapachula, through Mexico’s famed Soconusco region. The route flows past some of Mexico’s most famous farms – including the Fincas Hamburgo and Irlanda. A neighbour of these farms, Guadelupe Zaju is well on its way to helping carry on the region’s reputation as a location for high-quality coffee.
When Guadalupe Zaju’s current owner, Eduardo ‘Teddy’ Esteve, purchased the farm in 2004, it was a true act of faith and commitment to making the formerly great farm into a bastion of quality again. Teddy’s family had been involved in commodity trading – including coffee, tea and cocoa – for over 150 years, and he had worked on the coffee end of the business for his whole life. In his own words, he says “I grew up cleaning up the cupping room in the office and being involved in clerical matters since my early days to complement my allowance.” He directly started working for the family company in 1983. However, he had never directly been involved in farming coffee.
After purchasing Guadalupe Zaju, Teddy purchased two neighbouring farms – La Gloria and Chanjul – in 2011, all of which are run, today, under the name of Guadalupe Zaju. Currently, only 350 hectares of the farm’s total 600 hectares are under coffee. Teddy has complemented his passion for coffee farming by surrounding himself with experts. All of this is to ensure that Guadalupe Zaju establishes a name for itself as a producer of high-quality coffee.

Brazil Sao Silvestre

BRAZIL SAO SILVESTRE

Fazenda São Silvestre has been farmed by the Andrade Brothers since 1991. It is located in the north of Minas Gerais, in an area known as the Cerrado Mineiro on the border with Bahia state.
The farm’s volcanic soils provide ideal conditions for growing the farm’s main varieties – Yellow Icatú, Yellow Bourbon and Típica.
Combined with the natural conditions of the region, meticulous crop management, forward-thinking crop planning and post-harvest selection, the final result from all Andrade family farms is excellent quality, award-winning coffees that are appreciated both within Brazil and internationally as some of the best coffee the country has to offer.

IN CONCLUSION

Our seasonal espresso blends are made of high quality, speciality-grade coffees from several origins. Flavour, body and acidity profile are well-balanced which make it perfect for straight espresso and milk-based espresso drinks.

Most of our customers pour our seasonal espresso blend, which is designed for broad appeal and to make it easier for baristas to achieve consistent results (extraction) relative to some single-origin coffees.

Enjoy a cup of our seasonal blend at all Origin location or grab a bag for your home or office. Also available online at Cape Coffee Beans.

Santa Barbara Estate is composed of 5 sister farms that lie across three neighbouring, geographical regions – Santa Barbara, Fredonia and Amagá. Established in the 1980s, from the beginning Sr. Pedro Echavarria knew that location was crucial. Attracted by diverse microclimates, singular volcanic soils, perfect altitude and a tradition of excellence in coffee production, he established a small farm in the high Andes of Antioquia. By combing these perfect natural conditions with hard work and efficiency, he quickly grew the area under cultivation and the farm’s reputation.

General Info:

Farm: La Joyería
Varietal: Colombia
Processing: Washed and silo dried for 24 hours
Altitude: 1,700 meters above sea level
Owner: Echavarria Family
Town / City: Santa Bárbara
Region: Antioquia

In the last five years, Pedro’s son – also Pedro – has become more deeply involved in the workings of the farm, taking the already high quality of the coffee to new heights through experimentation in processing and increased monitoring and control of every stage of production. Pedro Jr. and Santa Barbara’s Coffee Director, Leonardo Henao Triana, manage their wet mill with a blend of art, industrial rigour and scientific curiosity. They are committed to further developing the Estate’s capacity for the highest quality coffee possible. They have even brought their offerings to Medellin, Colombia through their flagship coffee shop, Pergamino.

Pedro Echavarria Sr and Jr

La Joyeria truly is ‘the jewel’ of the Estate. These lots are grown at an average altitude of 1700 meters and are 100% Colombia variety. Each lot is composed of two days worth of picking; the coffee picked on the second day is added to the first after 24 hours fermentation and then left to ferment in the tanks for a further 24 hours. In this method of fermentation, the second batch raises the ph level of the fermentation tank, permitting longer fermentation times without the acetic acid produced by bacteria at a lower ph level.

La Joyería is named for and processed at the main mill on the Santa Bárbara farm. The mill can process up to 7,000 bags of coffee; however, La Joyería makes up a very small percentage of this volume. The coffee is also stored and milled separately from the volume production.

The Estate Workers

Santa Bárbara Estate employs 60 people all year round, who on average earn 30% above the minimum wage.  Half of these also receive free housing within the farm for themselves and their families. A further 1,200 pickers are hired during the main harvest, comprised mainly of farmers from around the Santa Bárbara Estate who pick coffee to supplement their income. Workers are generally long-term employees and have been with the company for more than 10 years.

The Santa Bárbara Estate also runs an extensive scholarship and financial aid program for worker’s children as well as helping long-standing employees to acquire their own piece of land upon retirement.

Conclusion

In the cup expect raspberry, red grape and cinnamon flavours with a round body. This coffee is best suited to Aeropress, siphon and pourover. Enjoy a cup at Origin in De Waterkant and Bree. Grab a bag of beans for your home or office. View our full coffee offering here.

A French Group with large interests in palm oil and rubber plantations in Malaysia decided to look for agricultural investments in East Africa. In February 1950, they sent their agent, Mr. Jas Nicoll, with a comfortable chequebook and a very large mandate (any country and almost any crop) to East Africa. Very quickly he came to the conclusion that an investment in coffee plantations in Kenya was the answer to his quest.

In a few months, he managed to set up a company (Socfinaf) and acquired the first coffee estate in April 1950. It was N’gewe Estate. Jas Nicoll acquired the neighbouring Mchana Estate in May of the same year. Mchana – with 1,090 acres, 659 of them under coffee – was already one of the larger estates in Kenya. In January 1951 he managed to acquire two other estates close to Mchana and N’Gewe. Kiki Estate and Mukuyu Estate (325 acres with 136 acres under coffee) were added on.

The four estates were regrouped into one entity, called Mchana (seeing as it was the largest of the four units). By doing so, Mchana Estate became the largest single coffee plantation in the whole of Kenya and was in “full bearing”. In 1950, the newly created Socfinaf produced 267 tons of clean (or Washed) coffee and 21 tons of Mbuni (as natural coffee is known) out of 9,700 tons produced that year in Kenya. In 1950, the yield was 450 to 500 lbs an acre as against an average of 250 lbs for the whole of Kenya.

General Info:

Farm: Mchana Estate
Varietal: SL28, SL34, Ruiru 11 & K7
Processing: Fully washed & dried on African beds
Altitude: 1,600 to 1,766 metres above sea level
Owner: Coffee Management Systems
Town / City: Ruiru
Region: Kiambu County

Coffee Resting before bagging at Mchana

Mchana today

Today’s Mchana Estate is 906 hectare with 458 hectares under coffee – almost the same original amount of hectare used to grow coffee as in 1950, making it one of Kenya’s largest.
The potential for high quality, however, was there and was part of the heritage of the farm. 2/3 of the trees still bearing at Mchana were planted before Socfinaf’s acquisition, and they are mostly SL28. Small subsections of the farm have been planted under Ruiru 11 and K7 , but the majority of cultivars are the ‘traditional’ SL28 & SL34, known for their great cup profile. Indeed, all the potential for exceptional quality has been there from nearly the beginning – it just needed a helping hand.
Coffee Management Systems (CMS), one of Kenya’s premier marketing and agricultural extension services, took over the farm from Socifaf management in late 2017, and they are making the most of that potential. Today, Mchana’s management has been placed safely in the hands of Mr Wambungo. He is an innovative and expert farm manager and is committed to maintaining Mchana’s reputation as one of the best producing estates of in Kenya while also adding ‘best quality’ to that reputation.
Mr. Wambungo began immediately with renovation activities: old trees were pruned or replaced so as to ensure a better harvest in a couple of years’ time. He has implemented crop development charts, which track each block from flowering to maturity. Mr Wambungo’s efforts are already seeing results. Productivity has increased significantly, and lots from Mchana now fetch good prices at auction. The farm is expected to continue to improve as his expertise is put into effect.

Conclusion

We currently stock Kenya Mchana Coffees – AB and Peaberry.

AB – In the cup expect orange rind, cranberry and blackcurrant flavours with a fruit nectar, heavy body. This coffee is versatile and suitable for all brewing methods.

PB- In the cup expect cranberry, black currant and orange flavours with a heavy, syrupy body. This coffee is best suited to espresso, siphon, plunger and pourover.

Enjoy a cup at Origin in De Waterkant and Bree. Grab a bag of beans for your home or office. View our full coffee offering here.

Danilo Salazar has been involved in coffee from birth. His small, 7 hectare farm – named San Cristobal del Llano – was originally his grandfather’s. As a child, he would help and play amongst the coffee trees that today he cares for, himself. Danilo and his family are very involved in all the work that goes into the farm. They conduct many of the maintenance activities year-round, including monthly weeding and quarterly fertilisations. Once the harvest season ends, all the trees are pruned to eliminate old and damaged branches, open up the plants for sunlight and to mitigate diseases. During March through October, 4 foliar and soil fertilisations are conducted. At the beginning of November, additional weed control takes place to prepare the farm for another harvest.

General Info:

Farm: San Cristobal del Llano
Varietal(s): Caturra & Red Catuaí
Processing: Natural; Dried on patios & finished in beds
Altitude: 1,700 masl
Owner: Danilo Salazar
Town: Zarcero
Region: West Valley
Country: Costa Rica
Total size of farm: 7 hectares
Area under coffee: 7 hectares

Processing

This Caturra and Catuaí lot has been processed using the Natural method. Upon being selectively hand-harvested, with only the ripest cherries being picked, the coffee is delivered on the same day to the nearby Café de Alturas de San Ramón Mill. Here, the cherry is received, sorted, weighed and then washed with clean water to eliminate any foreign matter. Immediately after washing, the cherries are taken to the patios for drying, where they are regularly turned and evenly dried for 15 to 20 days, depending on the sunlight. Once the coffee reaches the correct humidity, it is stored and rested until it is time to export.

Danilo works closely with the organisation that mills and markets his coffee – Café de Altura of San Ramón Especial S. A. – to ensure the high quality of his end product. Founded in 2004 by coffee growers from the San Ramón Canton and surrounding areas, Café de Altura de San Ramón has always sought to access speciality markets, obtaining the best possible price in order to both generate wellbeing for the producer and the community and to provide a good return for shareholders. Today the company processes, markets, exports and roasts speciality coffee along with providing a host of other services to members.

Today, the company processes coffee from 3,800 producers hailing from 4 different Costa Rican coffee regions. It is managed collectively by 590 member producers, most of whom are small- to medium-sized coffee growers. It’s original commitment to quality and customer satisfaction remains, despite its growth. As such, it only receives processes and sells excellent coffee, from regions located over 1,000 meters above sea level with strict quality and farm management standards.

Costa Rica Danilo Salazar – coffee treas

History, awards and sustainability

This extensive history and the group’s continued efforts have fostered an important reputation for the organisation. They have won prizes in various events and competitions, at a national and international level, such as National Coffee Competition, Pacific Coast Coffee Association, Roaster Guild Cupping Pavilion Competition, Gold Harvest Auction, Q Auction, Sintercafé, Costa Rica Cup and, most impressively, multiple wins in the Cup of Excellence Costa Rica. Lots that they have processed have placed in no fewer than 11 Cup of Excellence competitions since 2007 and have won a Presidential Prize (a score of 90+) twice.

The organization has also achieved several certifications for management and Good Agricultural Practices, among them: C.A.F.E Practices, Rain Forest Alliance and Utz Certified. Its commitment to the protection of the environment and sustainable production is significant. This is, in part, the rationale in many of the trainings they provide to producers, most of which focus on using organic products that are effective and that can be made with the raw material that is discarded from their own farms.

Conclusion

In the cup expect blackberry tart, black grape and nougat flavours with a viscous body. This versatile coffee is best suited to Aeropress, espresso and pourover. Enjoy a cup at Origin in De Waterkant and Bree. Grab a bag of beans for your home or office. View our full coffee offering here.

This AB lot was produced by numerous smallholder farmers, all of whom are members of the Ritho Farmers Cooperative Society (FCS) delivering to Handege Coffee Factory (as washing stations/wet mills are called in Kenya). The factory is located around 5 km from Gatundu town, in Kenya’s Kiambu County. The name “Handege” is derived from Ndege, the Swahili word for aeroplane or bird. We aren’t quite sure why that connection has been made, but it is certainly appropriate, as we expect this delicious coffee to FLY out of our warehouse.

General Info:

Farm: Handege Factory; Ritho Farmers Cooperative Society
Varietal: SL28, SL34 & Ruiru 11
Processing: Fully washed & dried on African beds
Altitude: 1,800+ metres above sea level
Owner: 500+ smallholder members deliver to the washing station;FCS = 1,097 active members
Town / City: Ngenda Division, Gatundu District
Region: Kiambu County, Central Province

The washing station: Handege

Ritho FCS operates two washing stations: Handege and Wamuguma. Handege factory was constructed in the mid-sixties and started its operations in the late 1967. Today, the two washing stations serve over 1,000 members (just over half deliver to Handege). The washing stations are close, as the ‘Ndege’ flies.

Part of the success of Ritho can be attributed to the good management of the group. In 2010, confronting low coffee prices and other challenges, the group developed a strategic plan with the primary aim of increasing coffee quality (not necessarily quantity, as is so often the focus in these situations). Focus was also put on agricultural and organisational management and infrastructure. Today the results of these efforts can be seen in the exceptional cup quality of their coffee.

Processing at the Handege wet mill adheres to stringent quality-driven methods as a result of these earlier efforts. All coffee cherries are handpicked and are delivered to the mill the same day, where they undergo meticulous sorting. Factory employees oversee the process and any underripe or damaged cherries will not be accepted by the ‘Cherry Clerk’ – one of the most important harvest-period staff, who keeps meticulous records of how much coffee each producer delivers on any given day. Any rejected coffee will have to be taken home again, and the farmer will need to find a place to dry it (often a tarp in the yard) to be delivered only at the end of the season as low quality ‘Mbuni’ – natural process coffee that earns a very low price. Thus, farmer members are incentivised to only pick and deliver the ripest cherry that they can.

Kenya Handege sorting

The treat of urbanisation and industrialisation

Kiambu, being very close to Nairobi, has a long history with regards to coffee production. However, recent history and urbanisation pose many issues for the future of coffee production in the region. Some of the issues are the same that farmers across the country face, such as low production due to pests and diseases and the relatively high cost of inputs compared to income from coffee. Many cannot afford to plant disease-resistant varieties and face being priced out of the market as their yields diminish.

The most pressing threat is arguably that of urbanisation and industrialisation. Kiambu County abuts directly up to the northern boundaries of Nairobi, encompassing wealthy suburbs and industrial areas alike in its southern edges. As the expansion of the Thika Superhighway and other infrastructure projects advance, it becomes easier and easier to set up businesses (and homes) on the outskirts of Nairobi, more deeply penetrating Kiambu’s borders. The highway construction has already led to an explosion of the real estate market with several big projects under development, such as Tatu City, Thika Greens and Buffalo Hills complexes. Other modern housing developments include Bahati Ridges, Fourways Junction and Juja South schemes.

Such urban expansion has already eaten away at many of Kenya’s larger coffee plantations: many of the oldest and largest are now housing developments. The impact on small holder farmers – who currently live farther from the city’s bounds – remains to be seen. Partible inheritance, where the property is apportioned among heirs, has caused landholdings to diminish over time, and with only 200 trees or fewer, many young people just don’t see the viability of coffee production.

One thing is sure: continued investment in quality coffee (such as this lot) is one of the sure actions that will give coffee in the region a ‘leg up’, hopefully preserving coffee in the area for generations to come.

Conclusion

In the cup expect litchi, rose wine and black tea flavours with a viscous body. This versatile coffee is best suited to Aeropress, espresso and Siphon. Enjoy a cup at Origin in De Waterkant and Bree. Grab a bag of beans for your home or office. View our full coffee offering here.

This exceptional lot was processed, dry milled and exported by Legu Trading. The coffee was grown by smallholder farmers living around the town of Adado in Gedeo County, Yirgacheffe region, Ethiopia. Most contributing farmers own less than a hectare of land, and they grow coffee simply as a backyard cash crop. Coffee will usually be interspersed with other subsistence crops, such as sweet potato, mangos and avocados. Income from coffee is important but minimal for most farmers due to the small size of their farms. As such, inputs are minimal – most coffee grown in the region is 100% organic, though not certified, as farmers simply don’t have the money to apply chemical fertilisers, pesticides or herbicides.

General Info:

Farm: Various small farms
Varietal: Heritage Gedeo, 740110 & 74112
Processing: Fully washed & dried on African beds
Altitude: 1,800 to 2,000 metres above sea level
Owner: Legu Trading PLC
Town / City: Bulle district, Adado localities
Region: Southern State, Gedeo County(Yirgacheffe)

Ethiopia Yirgacheffe – Coffee packed for transport

Coffee is selectively hand-picked before being delivered to collection points, usually within 10 km of the producers’ homes. Great care is taken upon delivery to separate out any overripe, underripe or damaged beans before consolidating with other lots for the road to the wet mill. At least once a day, the collected coffee cherry is delivered to the mill. It is then pulped and delivered to a fermentation tank, where it ferments for 12-18 hours depending on the climate at the time. After fermentation, the coffee is fully washed through grading channels and is then delivered to dry on African beds. Once here, the parchment is turned regularly and protected from hot sun until it reaches the optimal humidity, at which point it is bagged and rested.

Varieties of coffee grown here are traditionally referred to as ‘heirloom’ by exporters – a catchall terminology which often masks the wide assortment of varieties that may be present within various regions…even, within farms. Many of these varieties will have been developed by Ethiopia’s Jimma Agricultural Research Centre (JARC). Since the late 1960s, JARC has worked to develop resistant and tasty varieties for the Ethiopian coffee industry. They also provide the agricultural extension training needed to cultivate these varietals. The dual factors of Ethiopian Commodity Exchange (ECX) forced anonymisation of lots combined with the relatively low awareness of formal variety names outside Ethiopia.

Ethiopia Yirgacheffe – Coffee sorting

About the Yirgacheffe region

Yirgacheffe is actually part of the Sidamo region in southern Ethiopia. Its exquisite washed coffees are so well-known that  Yirgacheffe has been sub-divided into its own micro-region. This steep, green area is both fertile and high – much of the coffee grows at 2,000m and above.

At first glance, Yirgacheffe’s hills look thickly forested. In fact, it is a heavily populated region and the hills are dotted with many dwellings and villages’ growing what is known as ‘garden coffee’. There are approximately 26 cooperatives in the region, representing some 43,794 farmers and around 62,004 hectares of garden coffee. The production is predominantly washed, although a smaller amount of sundried coffees also come out of Yirgacheffe. In Yirgacheffe, coffee is one of the main cash crops – covering from half a hectare to 1.5 hectares. This is usually planted alongside a second cash crop – often a large-leafed tree used in making roofs (and also shade provider for the coffee).

There is only one main harvest a year in Ethiopia – this usually takes place in November and December across all of the country’s growing regions. There are, on average, 4 passes made during the harvest period, and, in regions that produce both washed and naturals, the last pass is used for the natural coffee. Washed coffees are then generally pulped on the same day that they are picked, sorted into three grades by weight (heavy, medium and floaters), fermented, washed and then usually graded again in the washing channels. The beans are then dried on African beds, where they are hand-sorted, usually by women.

Conclusion

In the cup expect red berry, lemongrass, tinned pineapple flavours with a light, elegant body. This versatile coffee is suitable for any brewing method. Enjoy a cup at Origin in De Waterkant and Bree. Grab a bag of beans for your home or office. View our full coffee offering here.

General coffee info

Farm: Musasa: Ruli
Varietal: 100% Red Bourbon
Processing: Fully washed & sundried on raised beds
Altitude: 1 700 to 2 000 metres above sea level
Owner: Musasa Dukunde Kawa Cooperative – some 2,148 smallholder farmers
Town/City: Ruli
Region: Ruli Sector, Gakenke District of Northern Province & Coko Sector, Gakenke District of Northern Province

Sorting coffee at Ruli

The Musasa Dukunde Kawa cooperative & washing stations

The Musasa Dukunde Kawa cooperative has three washing stations lying high in Rwanda’s rugged northwest. Ruli – the cooperative’s first washing station – was built by the co-op in 2003.

Most of the small scale producers with whom Musasa Dukunde Kawa works own less than a quarter of a hectare of land, where they cultivate an average of only 250 – 300 coffee trees each as well as other subsistence food crops such as maize and beans. The cooperative gives these small farmers the chance to combine their harvests and process cherries centrally. Before the proliferation of washing stations such as Ruli, the norm in Rwanda was for small farmers to sell semi-processed cherries on to a middleman, and the market was dominated by a single exporter. This commodity-focused system – coupled with declining world prices in the 1990s – brought severe hardship to farmers, some of whom abandoned coffee entirely.

Today, it’s a different picture. Farmers who work with Musasa Dukunde Kawa have seen their income at least double, and the co-op produces some outstanding lots for the speciality market year after year. ‘Musasa’ means ‘a place to make a bed’ and ‘Dukunde Kawa’ means ‘let’s love coffee’ in Kinyarwanda – a reference to the power of coffee to improve the lives of those in rural communities.

Musasa Dukunde Kawa now owns three washing stations and is one of Rwanda’s larger cooperatives, with 2,148 members as of the 2014/15 crop year. Ruli washing station began serving local farmers in 2004 and today buys and processes cherries from 1,438 farmers in the area. All of this is overseen by Wet Mill Manager Valens Ntezimana, who has held the post since 2012. Under his direction and with the help of 28 permanent employees and 287 seasonal workers, Ruli has grown to process 9 containers of exportable coffee.

Rwanda Musasa Ruli coffee “mountains”

Processing

The level of care that Musasa Dukunde Kawa Ruli takes over the processing is impressive. Cherries are hand-picked only when fully ripe and then pulped that same evening using a mechanical pulper that divides the beans into three grades by weight. 2015 saw the installation of a brand new pulper that should increase the washing station’s capacity and give even more control over processing and quality. As at most washing stations in Rwanda, women do the majority of the hand sorting.

After pulping, the coffee is fermented overnight (for around 12 hours) and then graded again using flotation channels that sort the coffee by weight (the heaviest – or A1 – usually being the best). The wet parchment is then soaked in water for between 18 and 24 hours to stabilise moisture content.

Conclusion

In the cup expect apricot, almond, cocoa and nutmeg flavours with a round body. This coffee is best suited to espresso, siphon and pourover. Enjoy a cup at Origin in De Waterkant and Bree or grab a bag of beans for your home or office. View our full coffee offering here.

The coffee was grown by smallholder farmers living around the town of Banco Gotete in Gedeo County, Yirgacheffe region, Ethiopia. Most contributing farmers own less than a hectare of land, and they grow coffee simply as a backyard cash crop. Coffee will usually be interspersed with other subsistence crops, such as sweet potato, mangos and avocados.

General Info:

Farm: Various small farms
Varietal: Heritage Gedeo, 740110 & 74112
Processing: Natural
Altitude: 2,000 to 2,100 metres above sea level
Owner: Legu Trading PLC
Town / City: Banco Gotete, Gedeo County
Region: Kochere Yirgacheffe

Income from coffee is important but minimal for most farmers due to the small size of their farms. As such, inputs are minimal – most coffee grown in the region is 100% organic, though not certified, as farmers simply don’t have the money to apply chemical fertilisers, pesticides or herbicides.

Coffee is selectively hand-picked before being delivered to collection points, usually within 10 km of the producers’ homes. Great care is taken upon delivery to separate out any overripe, underripe or damaged beans before consolidating with other lots for the road to the wet mill.

About the Yirgacheffe region Ethopia

Yirgacheffe is actually part of the Sidamo region in southern Ethiopia, but its exquisite washed coffees are so well-known that is has been sub-divided into its own micro-region. This steep, green area is both fertile and high – much of the coffee grows at 2,000m and above.

Ethiopia Kochere Banco Gotete – coffee cherries before processing

At first glance Yirgacheffe’s hills look thickly forested – but in fact it is a heavily populated region and the hills are dotted with many dwellings and villages’ growing what is known as ‘garden coffee’. There are approximately 26 cooperatives in the region, representing some 43,794 farmers and around 62,004 hectares of garden coffee. The production is predominantly washed, although a smaller amount of sundried coffees also come out of Yirgacheffe.

Around 85 percent of Ethiopians still live rurally and make a living from agriculture; each family usually lives in a modest home (often a single round mud hut) and farms their own plot of land, where they grow both cash crops and food for their own consumption.

In Yirgacheffe, coffee is one of the main cash crops – covering from half a hectare to 1.5 hectares (the latter is considered big). This is usually planted alongside a second cash crop – often a large-leafed tree used in making roofs for  (and also shade provider for the coffee) known as ‘false banana’. This looks like a banana tree but isn’t – instead its thick stem is used to produce both a nutritious flour and a fermented paste that are staple ingredients.

There is only one main harvest a year in Ethiopia – this usually takes place in November and December across all of the country’s growing regions. There are, on average, 4 passes made during the harvest period, and, in regions that produce both washed and naturals, the last pass is used for the natural coffee. Washed coffees are then generally pulped on the same day that they are picked, sorted into three grades by weight, fermented, washed and then usually graded again in the washing channels. The beans are then dried on African beds, where they are hand-sorted, usually by women.

Conclusion

In the cup expect blueberry, passion fruit and red berry flavours with a thick, sticky body. This versatile coffee is suitable for any brewing method. Enjoy a cup at Origin in De Waterkant and Bree or grab a bag of beans for your home or office. View our full coffee offering here.

Numerous smallholder farmers, all of whom are members of the Ruchu Gacharage Farmers Co-Operative Society, produced this AB lot. They delivered their coffee cherries to the Ruchu Coffee Factory (as washing stations/wet mills are called in Kenya) and the lot was produced from their deliveries.

General Info:

Farm: Ruchu Factory; Ruchu Gacharage Farmers Co-Operative Society
Varietal: Sl28, SL34 & Ruiru 11; some Batian
Processing: Fully washed & dried on African beds
Altitude: 1400+ metres above sea level
Owner: Owner: Approx. 600 members deliver to Ruchu;FCS = Approx. 3715 active members
Town/City: Kandara
Region: Murang’a County, Central Province

Some of the issues that farmers face are low production due to loss due to pests and diseases and the relatively high cost of inputs. Many cannot afford to plant disease-resistant varieties and face being priced out of the market as their yields diminish. It is perhaps no surprise that many young people in the region see no future in continuing to farm coffee. This is a challenge across much of Kenya, and one that cooperatives such as Ruchu must confront in the future.

Ripe Cherries

The Ruchu Coffee Factory

Processing at the Ruchu wet mill adheres to stringent quality-driven methods. All coffee cherries are handpicked and are delivered to the mill the same day, where they undergo meticulous sorting. Factory employees oversee the process and any underripe or damaged cherries will not be accepted by the ‘Cherry Clerk’ – one of the most important harvest-period staff, who keeps meticulous records of how much coffee each producer delivers on any given day (and thus how much payment is due once the coffee has sold). Any rejected coffee will have to be taken home again, and the farmer will need to find a place to dry it (often a tarp in the yard) to be delivered only at the end of the season as low quality ‘Mbuni’ – natural process coffee that earns a very low price. Thus, farmer members are incentivised to only pick and deliver the ripest cherry that they can.

High-quality coffee production and care are taken with the processing are one way to ensure that mono-crops such as tea don’t replace the more diverse, integrated smallholder agriculture that is traditional in the region and of which coffee is an integral part.

Conclusion

In the cup expect oolong tea, grapefruit, winey flavours with a medium, dry body. This versatile coffee is suitable for any brewing method. Enjoy a cup at Origin in De Waterkant and Bree or grab a bag of beans for your home or office. View our full coffee offering here.

A look at the Specs

Buf Café was founded in 2003 by Epiphanie Mukashyaka, a dynamic businesswoman and a source of inspiration to countless other female entrepreneurs in Rwanda’s coffee sector and beyond. Buf is now managed by Epiphanie and her son, Samuel Muhirwa, who is taking an increasingly active role in running and expanding the business. The title ‘Buf’ derives from ‘Bufundu’, the former name of the region in which its washing stations are located.

Washing Station: Buf Nyarusiza (various collection points)
Varietal(s): 100% Red Bourbon
Processing: Fully washed & sun-dried on raised beds
Altitude: Washing Station 1,743 metres above sea level & Farms 1,700 to 1,900 metres above sea level
Owner: Epiphanie Mukashyaka
Town: Between Butare and Cyangugu
Region: Kamegeri Sector, Nyamagabe District of Southern Province
Country: Rwanda
Avg. size of farms: .25 hectares
Prizes (all washing stations): 2008, #7, #18 & #23 COE Rwanda; 2011, #23 & #36 COE Rwanda; 2012, #7, #12 & #19 COE Rwanda; 2014, #14 & #24 COE Rwanda

Samuel and his Mum, Epiphanie (founder of Buf)

Epiphanie & the two coffee washing stations – Remera and Nyarusiza

Epiphanie, who was born in 1959, was widowed during the 1994 genocide – which claimed over 800,000 lives in just 3 months – but chose not to leave her family’s small coffee farm. Instead, she set about rebuilding and developing her business and with it the local community. She started Buf Café in 2003 when she established Remera washing station with a loan from the Rwandan Development Bank and the assistance of the USAID-financed PEARL project.

Buf Café now owns two coffee washing stations – Remera and Nyarusiza – as well as its own coffee trees and buys coffee cherries from as many as 264 surrounding smallholder farmers, as well as three different local cooperatives! At Buf’s Nyarusiza washing station in 2014, there was a total of 798,685kg of cherry delivered throughout the season, approximately 5% of which was delivered by trees owned by Epiphane and her family. The remaining quantity of delivered cherry comes from farmers within the community surrounding the washing station.

This 100% red bourbon coffee was processed at Buf Café’s Nyarusiza washing station, at 1,743 metres above sea level in the south of Rwanda. Buf has very strong links with the local communities that supply it, providing jobs for 116 at Nyarusiza during peak harvest (May – June/July) and 9 permanent positions. A further 127 people are employed at Remera during harvest, with 10 permanent positions. (2014 figures) At the end of each season, Buf will share any surplus profits with both the cooperatives that it works with and its washing station managers.

The majority of the small farmers in the area have an average of only 300 coffee trees (less than a quarter of a hectare) and use some of their lands to cultivate other crops such as maize and beans to feed themselves and their families. Most of their income from the sale of coffee is used to take their children to school, pay for medical care and for investment in livestock such as a cow for milk, both for use in the home and for sale locally.

The level of care that all Buf washing stations take over their processing is impressive. Cherries are hand-picked only when fully ripe and then pulped that same evening using a mechanical pulper that divides the beans into three grades by weight.

After pulping, the coffee is fermented overnight and then graded again using flotation channels that sort the coffee by weight (the heaviest – or A1 – usually being the best). As at most washing stations in Rwanda, women do the majority of the hand sorting.

Conclusion

In the cup expect spicy flavours with hibiscus and plums with a medium, juicy body. The versatile coffee is suitable for any brewing method.

Enjoy a cup at Origin in De Waterkant and Bree or grab a bag of beans for your home or office. View our full coffee offering here.

Owner, Pablo José Ferrigno Figueroa, a third generation coffee grower, has his roots in coffee. His grandfather came from Italy and had established several farms alongside a coffee exporting business. His father also had a farm. Pablo had cultivated an interest in coffee from an early age and had worked on his family’s farms for years as a young adult. However, all of the family’s experience was with low grown coffee in Guatemala’s warm coastal areas. Speciality coffee required a different climate, not to mention a different approach.

Farm: Finca Santa Sofia
Varietal(s): Caturra, Catuai & Catimor
Processing: Fully washed & sun-dried; finished in Guardiolas if needed
Altitude: 1 675 masl
Owner: Pablo José Ferrigno Figueroa
Town: Tactic
Region: Alta Verapaz, Cobán
Country: Guatemala

Guatemala Santa Sofia Farm

The Farm

The only question was where to begin this new endeavour. Being a young entrepreneur and something of a maverick, Pablo opted for Alta Verapaz – a region that despite its wet cool climate gathered together all the growing conditions he was looking for. He found a medium sized plot of land for sale in the town of Tactic – not at all a common place for coffee production due to its unusually cold weather. Many friends and family (not to mention other coffee farmers) were sceptical about the location and his plans, and Pablo knew that the road ahead would be difficult. Nonetheless, on October 15th 1991, he carried a bag of coffee seeds to the area in order to start his nursery and, in that moment Finca Santa Sofia was born. Pablo named the farm for his first daughter, who was born in the same year.

Even today, Santa Sofia is the only coffee farm in the immediate micro-region and produces one of the best coffees in the region. Coffee is selectively harvested, with only the ripest cherries being picked. After harvesting, the red cherries are taken to the farm’s receiving tanks where they are then mechanically pulped. Coffee is fermented for up to 48 hours and after fermentation, the coffee is washed and then soaked in clean water for 24 hours to remove any traces of mucilage before being dried.

Finca Santa Sofia dries most of their coffee on patios, though due to the region’s almost constant rain, the farm often has to use guardiolas to finish drying, which is accomplished according to a very strict and controlled drying schedule.

Conclusion

In the cup expect dried mango, toffee apple and spicy flavours with a light-medium and sticky body. Enjoy a cup at Origin in De Waterkant and Bree or grab a bag of beans for your home or office.

View our full coffee offering here.

Finca San Jose occupies approximately 70 hectares on El Salvador’s’ Santa Ana Volcano, in the Canton of Los Naranjos, Juayua, Sonsonate. Around 56 hectares of the farm is planted under coffee and the remainder of the land is reserved as natural cloud forest. The high altitude here combined with the cool climate makes for the perfect conditions for coffee farming.

The Specs

Farm: Finca San Jose
Varietal(s): 100% Pacamara
Processing: Fully Washed
Altitude: 1400 to 1650 Masl
Owner: Montana Estates, S.A. De C.V.
Town: Los Naranjo, Juayua
Region: Sonsonate
Prize: #13 El Salvador Cup Of Excellence (2018)

El Salvador – Finca San Jose

What is CoE?

The Cup of Excellence is an annual competition held in several countries to identify the highest quality coffees produced. The competitions began in 1999 and by 2018 they were held in Brazil, Colombia, Peru, El Salvador, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Burundi, and Rwanda. Each coffee is tested at least five times and only those coffees that get high scores continuously move forward in the competition. The final winners are awarded the Cup of Excellence and sold via an auction to the highest bidder.

The Farm and farmers

Finca San Jose was established in the late 1890s by the Ruffatti family, one of El Salvador’s foundational coffee farming families. In 2005, the farm was almost entirely destroyed by ash from the nearby Santa Ana volcano eruption. In 2013, Federico Pacas (who had for many years managed the farm) and his family purchased it, adding it to the small but significant Café Tuxpal Estate: sister farms are Santa Petrona and Vista Hermosa, both of which have substantial speciality coffee reputations.

Upon buying the farm, one of the first things the family did was begin renovation – both because it was necessary and also to increase the farm’s potential for speciality coffee. Due to their efforts, the farm is now divided into 10 different micro-plots, each of which is differentiated by a coffee variety.

Harvesting and Processing

All coffee from the farm is carefully harvested by hand and meticulously sorted before being delivered for processing to the farm’s own wet mill – Beneficio Tuxpal. Here, a second sorting takes place. After this, the coffee is pulped and then left to ferment in clean tanks for 36 hours, before being fully washed and delivered to dry on African beds.

Conclusion

This is our highest quality coffee on offer at the moment.  Cup of Excellence coffees are grown, harvested and processed with the highest level of attention to detail. This is certainly reflected in the cup.

In the cup expect currant, wild honey and plums with a medium round body and complex, tropical fruit acidity.

This lot was produced by 3 smallholder farmers: Alindor Mirez, Luciano Mendoza & Jaime Marino Guevara. The lot name ‘La Palma’ was chosen as it is the town closest to the farms of all three producers. The farms are small, at around 3 hectares each, and are named after trees that grow within their confines: La Naranja (the Orange Tree), El Laurel (the Laurel) and El Nispero (the Saspodilla).

Around 50% of this lot is composed of coffee produced by Alindor Mirez, a small scale producer who has been farming coffee all his life in this region. For all three, coffee is their main economic activity. They are very committed to improving their understanding of quality so that they can place his coffee on the speciality market. Santuario supports them in these efforts.

All three use the same strict harvest and processing methods so as to ensure that the natural potential of their coffee is maintained. During the harvest, coffee is selectively handpicked with only the ripest cherries being harvested at each pass. These cherries are then hand-sorted to ensure no underripe or damaged cherries make it into the fermentation tanks. The coffee is pulped on the same day that it is picked. After pulping, it will then ferment in a tin or cement tank for up to 30 to 40 hours before being washed clean in pure water.

The specs:

Farms: El Nispero, La Naranja & El Laurel
Varietal(s): Yellow Caturra, Bourbon, Pache & Typica
Processing: Fully washed & dried on patios & finished in African beds
Altitude: 1,850 to 1,900 metres above sea level
Owner: Alindor Mirez, Luciano Mendoza & Jaime Marino Guevara
Town: La Palma, Chirinos
Region: Cajamarca
Country: Peru
Total size of farms: 9 hectares total
Area under coffee: 9 hectares total
Certification: Organic

Peru La Palma – the farmers

Santuario/Sanctuary

The name – “Santuario/Sanctuary” – refers to the fact that all the farms working as a group are in the buffer zone of the Tabaconas – Namballe National Sanctuary. This environmental placement is important to Santuario, as the company prioritises environmental conservation and biodiversity.

Santuario’s main objective and activity is to work in cooperation with small producers and producer organisations in order to promote coffee quality improvement. The business not only helps with market access, but they also assume the role of agricultural extension – or technical field assistance – where individuals with agricultural expertise and training advise on all aspects of soil fertility, cultivation techniques, harvesting, post-harvest and, generally, improvement of quality. The coffee that the organisation works with comes from varied and unique production areas of the Cajamarca region. With diverse microclimates and high soil quality, they’ve identified practices that enable individual producers to instil the very best quality in their diverse lots. The focus, then, is on the production of small, distinct and unique high-quality micro lots…. And of course on making sure that these very special coffees find the right home with speciality roasters.

Ultimately, Santuario aims to help producers in one of Peru’s most impoverished but also promising (coffee-wise) districts to find sustainable markets for their coffee and improve their livelihoods. Mercanta is excited to be able to help them achieve this goal.

Conclusion

In the cup expect sweet orange marmalade and peach flavours with fruity acidity and medium body. Best suited for espresso, pourover and Aeropress

View our full coffee offering here.

Iyenga Cooperative

Iyenga Agricultural Marketing Cooperative Society (Iyenga AMCOS) was registered in 2003 under the Tanzanian cooperative act. The cooperative deals only with coffee and collects from more than 500 farmers within the Mbeya region. Of these 500 farmers, only around 191 are registered members of the cooperative.

Iyenga AMCOS is known within the region as very well-organised. Leaders come into power through democratic election: all farmers who are members of the cooperative have right to vote for the person they’d like to be in power, and every farmer has the right to contend for a board member position. Group leaders encourage women and young people to participate in coffee agriculture activities and in all cooperative activities. When the group first registered, there were only 64 members, all of whom were male. Now, of the group’s 193 members, 17 are female!

All the farmers in Iyenga village are very small scale and grow coffee on 5 hectares or less. In addition to coffee, many grow maize, peanuts and beans. The majority of farmers often keep one or two cows and some poultry, as well.

In 2010, the government granted the Iyenga Cooperative a Central Processing Unit machine – a Penagos UCBE 500 – which has enabled the Cooperative to improve their processing efficiency while using less water.

Tanzania Iyenga – Coffee Cherries

The specs of the coffee

Farm: Iyenga Agricultural Marketing Cooperative and Society
Varietal(s): Kent, Bourbon, N39 & other local varieties
Processing: Fully washed & sun dried on African beds
Altitude: 1670 to 1950 metres above sea level
Owner: Various smallholder farmers
Town: Iyenga town, Mbozi District
Region: Mbeya
Country: Tanzania
Total size of farm: Less than 5 hectares on average

Harvesting and Processing

This lot from Iyenga AMCOS is a mix of home processed and mill pulped coffees. In both cases, all coffee is hand harvested and pre-sorted before pulping.

Most farms are located quite near the mill, with the closest being only 300 metres away and the furthest 10 kilometres. In order to ensure that the coffee arrives at the mill in a timely fashion, the Cooperative has developed a shunting/ transportation system to collect coffee from all farmers who are either far from the wet mill or produce a large volume. Iyenga hires cars and motorbikes which go to visit farmers who have notified leaders in advance that they are harvesting that day. A secretary is appointed during the harvest season to arrange hunting logistics. This system has enabled the Cooperative to have more control over the quality of the cherry and pulped coffee that arrives at the mill.

Drying Coffee in Tanzania

Other Activities:

Iyenga Cooperative members ensure the soil remains fertile by adopting the best agricultural practices, upon which they are advised by the cooperative. These practices include preventing soil erosion through dual cropping, using mulching materials and applying compost on a regular basis at optimal times. Farmers tend to use manure from their own cows and composted coffee pulp, but some also use other fertilizers, though sparingly

Conclusion

In the cup expect oolong tea, grapefruit and winey flavours with a medium-low citrus acidity and full-chewy body.

View our full coffee offering here.

Finca San Rafael Urias is located in one of the most traditional coffee regions of Guatemala: Antigua. It is one of the oldest and most reputable farms in the region.
Founded at the end of the nineteenth century by Don Rafael Valdés Quiroa, today the farm is run by the third generation of the Valdés family.

The coffee produced by the Valdés brother is strictly hard bean (SHB), genuine Antigua type and it’s grown at an altitude between 1,300 to 1,500 meters above sea level. The farm has received multiple awards for its excellent cup quality. [Including winning places in the Cup of Excellence competition four times!]. This is a result of the care given to the coffee throughout every process and practice, itself a result by the expertise and knowledge established by its founder.

Guatemala Finca San Rafael Urias Volcano

What is CoE?

The Cup of Excellence is an annual competition held in several countries to identify the highest quality coffees produced. The competitions began in 1999 and by 2018 they were held in Brazil, Colombia, Peru, El Salvador, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Burundi, and Rwanda. Each coffee is tested at least five times and only those coffees that get high scores continuously move forward in the competition. The final winners are awarded the Cup of Excellence and sold via an auction to the highest bidder.

The farming

The farm is situated in a special micro-valley, between Antigua’s Agua and Fuego volcanoes. Although there are hazards to being located squarely in the ‘ash’ zone (both volcanoes are active), the upside is the farm’s fertile, volcanic soils. After the ripe coffee cherries have been picked, they are sorted to remove any debris or damaged beans. Only the ripest cherries make it to the wet mill, where they are pulped and then fermented (12 – 18 hours) before being fully washed in 100% pure water. After this, the coffee is delivered to patios to dry under sun. Here, they are raked regularly to ensure even drying.

Only around 113 hectares (just over half) of the farm are dedicated to the production of coffee. The rest of the 200+ hectares are used for growing traditional foods – corn, beans, yams, and other field crops. These are for the use of the household and the workers on the farm.

Conclusion

This is our highest quality coffee on offer at the moment.  Cup of Excellence coffees are grown, harvested and processed with the highest level of attention to detail. This is certainly reflected in the cup.

In the cup expect sweet wine, red grape and blackcurrant with a medium body and a vibrant, berry acidity.

A Look at the Specs

Farm: Finca Veracruz
Varietal(s): Colombia & Caturra
Processing: Extended fermentation, washed & dried on raised beds
Altitude: 1 650 masl
Owner: Echavarria family
Town: Amaga
Region: Antioquia
Country: Colombia

The estate and its history

The Santa Barbara Estate is composed of 5 farms that lie across three neighbouring regions – Santa Barbara, Fredonia and Amagá – and was established in the 1980sm and from the beginning Sr. Pedro Echavarria knew that location was crucial and was attracted by diverse micro-climates, rich soils, ideal altitude and a tradition of excellence in coffee production. He established a small farm in the high Andes of Antioquia. By combining these perfect natural conditions with hard work and efficiency, Pedro quickly grew both the area under cultivation and the farm’s reputation. 

In the last five years, Pedro’s son (Pedro Jr.) has become more intensely involved in the workings of the farm. Pedro Jr. is taking the already high quality of the coffee to new heights through experimentation in processing and increased monitoring and control of every stage of production. 

Pedro Echavarria (Jr) inspection the dried Veracruz coffee

Veracruz extended fermentation

“The Veracruz lots come from one of the Estate’s smaller farms, composed of 16 hectares of coffee and a small mill. Each Veracruz lot is comprised of between 3 to 5 days’ picking. Each day, pulped beans are added to a fermentation tank with the previous days’ pickings. In this method of ‘extended’ fermentation, each consecutive batch raises the ph level (i.e. makes more alkaline) of the fermentation tank, permitting longer fermentation times that will produce a fruit-forward cup but without the acetic acid produced by bacteria at a low ph. Interestingly, the inspiration for the process was taken from small farmers throughout Antioquia and Huila, who often have two or three day fermentation as their farms are so small that one day’s picking is often not sufficient to make up an entire lot. Pedro and Leo have worked to perfect the process and adapt it for larger-scale production.” Mercanta Limited (www.coffeehunter.com)

Giving back

Santa Bárbara Estate employs 60 people all year round. Half of these also receive free housing within the farm for themselves and their families. A further 1 200 pickers are hired during the main harvest, these are mainly farmers from around the Santa Bárbara Estate who pick coffee to supplement their income. The estate also runs an extensive scholarship and financial aid program for worker’s children as well as helping long-standing employees to acquire their own piece of land upon retirement.

Conclusion

In the cup expect Sweet stone fruit, prunes with a juicy melon acidity and a round, heavy body. This coffee is best suited for Siphon, Pourover and Espresso.

View our full coffee offering here.

A Look at the Specs

Farm: Finca El Nivel
Varietal(s): Castillo
Processing: Fully washed & dried in silos, guardiolas or patios
Altitude: 1 680 to 1 750 masl
Owner: Flor de Apía SAS
Town: Apía, Vereda Miravalles
Region: Risaralda
Country: Colombia

Colombia Finca El Nivel

The Farm: Finca El Nivel

Finca El Nivel was owned by Sr. Joel Ruiz for more than 30 years. Towards the end of his tenure, however, Don Joel left the farm somewhat under-attended due to health problems that his wife was having. Don Joel’s son, decided to return from Pereira to work on the farm to attempt to recuperate and repair the damage that had been done. However, with too few resources and lack of experience it was very difficult to get the farm back on track.

In 2013 Pierre Dumont (cofounder of Flor de Apía SAS) who had already been working in the coffee industry for several years and who had recently acquired a neighbouring property (Finca Barcelona), decided to buy El Nivel. From that moment, he and his business partner, Mario Alexander, began the work of renovating and recovering coffee lots on the farm.

The recovery process of the coffee production system of El Nivel has been carried out by implementing new production practices, which have made it possible to obtain high quality coffee. Considering that the El Nivel farm was acquired in 2013 and that a great deal of work still needs to be done, a Five-Year Production Recovery and Stabilisation Plan has been structured that addresses a total of 5 lots.

Flor de Apía S.A.S owns a wet mill locally, that works to conserve the quality of the coffee, every step of the way. The company’s mill has their top of the line facilities at Finca Barcelona, just across the road from El Nivel. During the harvest seasons, every day coffee is collected there and moved in the afternoon to the mill. When the coffee reaches the mill, it is sorted by the machines, then pulped and fermented.

The Processing Mill: Flor de Apía

Flor de Apía was established in 2010 by Mario Alexander and his then business partner (who retired early in the partnership). Mario however, was still committed and he approached his ex partners best friend of his ex-partner, Pierre Dumont. Pierre was looking for a change, and he agreed with Mario that there was more opportunity for importing green coffee. A plan was born. The pair purchased two neighbouring farms, Finca Barcelona and El Nivel and established a wet and dry mill at Barcelona. In addition to processing, roasting and exporting their own coffees, Flor de Apía buys cherry and wet coffee from 28 farmers in the municipality.

Conclusion

In the cup expect caramel, litchi and blackcurrant with a tart apple acidity. This coffee is best suited for Siphon, Pourover and Espresso.

View our full coffee offering here.