Nariño

Nariño is characterized by steep slopes, and extremely high altitudes as well as a unique climate. Warm, humid air makes its way up from the valleys during the evening hours, allowing for coffee to be grown at higher altitudes than in the rest of Colombia, without risk of frost. The volcanic soil is rich in nutrients and is well-drained.

Caturra & Colombia

A natural mutation of Bourbon, originally discovered in Brazil in the early 20th century; Caturra derives its name from the Guarani word for “small,” a reference to its diminutive stature that results from a single-gene mutation causing dwarfism. It was this small size- allowing for more trees to be planted closer together- that led to mass selections of Caturra being made by the Instituto Agronomico (IAC) of Sao Paulo State in Campinas in the 1930’s. Caturra then made its way to Guatemala during the 1940’s and then was widely adopted in the 1970’s by the rest of Central America, where it is now one of the most economically important varieties. At high altitudes Caturra has strong quality and yield potential but unfortunately, is quite susceptible to disease.

Caturra's susceptibility to rust led to efforts by the Colombian coffee research institute, Cenicafé, to cross Caturra with Timor Hybrids to generate rust resistance. The result was Variedad Colombia, which was largely successful for a time, and remains popular despite leaf-rust mutations overtaking its resistance.

Washed

Selective manual harvesting is employed to pick only cherries that have reached their optimal ripeness, ensuring the highest quality. Following harvest, the cherries undergo a flotation process, where the densest cherries are separated. These cherries are then allowed to oxidize naturally in an open environment from 1 to 5 days before being depulped.

To ensure consistency and high-quality fermentations, clean and controlled practices are used throughout the fermentation process. This meticulous approach guarantees more complete fermentations and reproducible results. For drying, solar energy is harnessed in methods that depend on weather conditions. The drying process typically takes between 8 and 12 days, with duration variations determined by the climate.