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. Producers are small, biodiversity is traditional, soils are nutrient rich and well-drained.

Caturra

A natural mutation of Bourbon, 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 1970s 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.

Washed

For harvesting, the cherries are allowed to mature for 4 weeks. Only fully ripe cherries with a deep wine color are picked. Floating is then performed to separate green, under-ripe, or dried cherries, leaving only the cherries suitable for fermentation. These are left on mats for 30 hours, followed by pulping. The coffee with mucilage remains on mats for an additional 30 hours, then undergoes two washes to separate the mucilage from the bean before moving to drying. For drying, Gladys uses drying mats, laid out in open air on a small patio made of concrete and on soil. The coffee is spread on these mats for 18 to 20 days until the beans are dry. After this period, the coffee is moved to the storage warehouse, where it is placed into bags and sacks.