Produced by 32 smallholder farmers, this double fermented and washed coffee from Nariño. Colombia. is remarkably clean and bright. Crisp acidity asserts itself with notes of plum and green apple in the cup while distinct hard candy sweetness enhances all brew methods and contributes to the long aftertaste of caramel and vanilla.
This Colombian was brought to market by Terra Coffee, a young producer group established in 2016 with a narrow focus on developing high quality coffees in partnership with select coffee producers in the Nariño department. For this small company, quality in coffee is clearly understood as a direct pathway to well-being for small coffee farming families. Driving their business model at Terra Coffee is an understanding that quality results from small harvests. This approach directly impacts the financial stability of the farmer and, in turn, contributes to the livelihood of the many dependents on each of the 32 farms.
By increasing coffee quality and placing micro lots into the global market, Terra Coffee plans to increase profits to growers and their families, and, at the same time, to heighten farmers' sense of pride in the details of their work. The 32 producers contributing to this coffee developed a precise fermentation model which, in the words of Terra Coffee's founders, was "designed to obtain the best fruit and citric notes of Nariño, including the characteristic sweetness of the region," and to "leave us with brilliant, juicy acidity."
The specific processing method devised by the smallholder farmers involves two fermentation steps at difference phases following harvest. The first occurs in the whole cherry: fresh-picked, fully ripe fruit is bagged and allowed to ferment for 36 hours so that the mucilage fibers will break down and the sugars will peak. The second phase is more traditional but still very specific: the softened cherry is depulped and fermented dry in open tanks for another 60-70 hours. Finally, the fermented parchment is lightly washed and dried in the sun. Each of the producers exhaustively monitored temperature throughout the process to ensure that each batch of coffee was consistent with the others as a means to achieve a precise flavor profile. The resulting lot is exceedingly big-bodied, complex and lightly creamy with juicy sweetness.
ORIGIN INFORMATION
Grower: 32 producers organized around Terra Coffee
Variety: Caturra
Region: Narino Department, Colombia
Altitude: 1600-1800 masl
Soil: Sandy loam
Process: Double fermented and washed
