Colombia Cauca - 5#

5# Roasted

Colombia Cauca

Colombia

Coffee came to Colombia in the late 1700s by way of Jesuit priests who were among the Spanish colonists, and the first plantings were in the north of the country, in the Santander and Boyaca departments. Throughout the 19th century, coffee plants spread through the country, with a smaller average farm size than more commonly found throughout other Latin American producing countries.

Commercial production and export of coffee started in the first decade of the 1800s, but remained somewhat limited until the 20th century: The 1927 establishment of the Federación Nacional de Cafeteros de Colombia (aka FNC, see below) was a tremendous boost to the national coffee industry, and Colombia quickly established itself as a major coffee-growing region, vying with Brazil and Vietnam for the title of top global producer.

Colombia still produces exclusively Arabica coffee, and though the country suffered setbacks and lower yields from an outbreak of coffee-leaf rust in the early 2010s, production has fairly bounced back thanks to the development and spread of disease-resistant plants, as well as aggressive treatment and preventative techniques.

Region

Cauca is in central-western Colombia, stretching from the Western Cordillera mountain range to the Pacific Ocean. Ocean winds and elevation result in Cauca being one of the coolest regions of the country. The coffee in this area is grown mostly by indigenous or Afro-descendant communities. Geographically, the region has many features including the Popayan Plateau, many rivers, and the central volcanic mountain range.

Processing

Colombia is best-known for its Washed coffees. While the processing details might vary slightly from farm to farm or by association, generally the coffee is picked ripe and depulped the same day, then given an open-air fermentation in tanks or buckets for anywhere between 12–36 hours. The coffee is washed clean of its mucilage before being dried either on patios, in parabolic dryers, solar driers, or mechanically. Some Washed coffees in Colombia are mechanically demucilaged.

Our Roast : Caramel apple with roasted peanuts and lime

Coffee Specs:

Country     Colombia

Region   Cauca

Drying :  Mechanical

Proc. Method : Fully Washed

Varietals : Caturra, Colombia, Castillo