tasting notes
grapefruit / sweet citrus / milk chocolate
PROCESS
washed
Altitude
1050m - 1850m
VARIETAL
caturra, colombia & typica
SCA
84.5
The area holds an impressive reputation in the production of coffee and sugarcane, as well as a gastronomical number of goldmines. The coffee here is picked by the smallholders with their families and neighbours and generally washed and dried on the farm, often at high altitudes on steep slopes, or brought to a nearby beneficiary for processing. It is then brought to the dry mill or cooperative headquarters for cupping, scoring and sorting for export. Due to the many microclimates, faces of the slopes, and changing weather patterns, there is often fresh coffee cropping throughout the year.
PRODUCER
Climate change has seen a significant change across Colombia, bringing challenges to the area, earthquakes and landslides are now affecting the coffee farming areas, but the commitment to quality there remains incredibly high.
Racafe, one of Colombia’s leading exporters of specialty coffee began life in 1932 when the Espinosa brothers their first business initiative renting bicycles – by 1953 the attention turned to coffee, and the company rapidly grew to have milling operations in 9 cities across Colombia. Today it remains a family business, albeit a substantial one – and in 2008 Racafe won the SCAA Roasters Guild Coffee of the Year Award. Their commitment to quality coffee is matched only by their solidarity with producers in the regions they work to create a truly sustainable approach.