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..

Field Blend

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

Washed

Only fully ripe cherries, characterized by a rich wine-red color and an average Brix level of 22°B, are carefully picked. The cherries are then floated to remove any impurities before undergoing an initial fermentation for 70 hours in open tanks, while still in their cherry form. After this, they are thoroughly washed, depulped, and dry-fermented in sealed blue bins for 48 to 60 hours, until the pH reaches the target level of 3.6, before proceeding to the drying phase.

The drying process occurs on raised beds for about 17 days. Once this period is complete and that the coffee stabilizes, the beans are dried on plastic tarps on a patio to finish the process and reach a moisture level of 10 to 11%. After drying, the parchment is transferred to storage in Latinatech bags and burlap sacks, where it is carefully stacked on pallets before leaving for the dry mill.