Huila

Of the many growing regions in Colombia, the mountainous department of Huila in the south west of the country grows the most coffee. Huila enjoys a wide diversity of micro-climates, temperatures, altitudes and coffee varieties. In fact, coffee is grown in 35 of Huila's 37 municipalities. All of this means that the coffee coming out of this region is as diverse as the variables that influence its production.

Caturra & Tabi

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.

Released in 2002 as part of Colombia’s efforts to combat leaf rust, Tabi is a hybrid of Bourbon, Typica and Timor. The name Tabi means “good” in the Guambiano (an indigenous Colombian tribe) dialect.

Washed

To process, Yamid first floats the cherries to remove under- and over-ripes, and then intentionally leaves cherries for an initial “cherry ferment” for 24 hours. From there, coffee is de-pulped and left to ferment in a low oxygen environment- in sealed pickle barrels- for 12-36 hours, depending on weather conditions. Shared Source has left a pH meter with Yamid, and he carefully measures the pH of the coffee, washing once pH measures between 4 and 4.2. From there, coffee is lightly and gently washed, before moving to a nylon bag where remaining liquid is left to drain out a bit further for just an hour or so. Next, coffee is transferred to the new two-story dryer where it’s carefully tended to on the platforms under shade for almost a month.