Description
Coffee cultivation from small family owned farms is the backbone of production in Colombia. This traceable community blend with a vibrant regional profile comes from 80 producers with small farms in the municipality of Inza within the department of Cauca. Each producer has their own micro-mill where they carefully harvest cherries, depulp, ferment, wash and gently dry the parchment on raised beds. While individual producers have designed farm management and post-harvest solutions to fit their needs, they banded together for crucial logistical demands for things like warehousing and milling coffee for export to the international market, which provides better income for everyone to reinvest in their farms and strengthen their families’ livelihoods.
Inza is located in the heart of the Colombian Massif, between the Magdalena, Cauca, and Patía rivers, this municipality boasts volcanic soils and altitudes of 1,800-2,100 meters above sea level, very high altitudes, and creates conditions that thicken the coffee beans and enhance their sweetness. For decades, the region was marked by armed conflict with the presence of guerrillas; however, the demobilization of the FARC and the mine clearance programs completed in 2022 restored tranquility to Nasa indigenous communities like that of Don Justiniano Pencué, who now grow coffee in lands free of mines.
This entire revival has been driven by the Pillimue family, recognized for their leadership and quality, in partnership with the Antioquia-based exporter Pergamino Café. Together, they opened a collection center and laboratory that already serves more than 150 families and, since 2019, have led the organic certification of 80 producers, offering biofertilizer workshops and guaranteeing premium prices in the specialty market.
Tasting Notes: A wonderfully clean and semi-exotic Colombian, washed processed coffee, so not exotic by means of overly fruity or ferment, but picks up some spice notes not usually seen in Colombians. Versatile from light to dark, we thought best at the lighter roast levels. Crisp, clean, sweet, with a ton of flavor depth. The cup has a little fuller body and in mainly a nutty and chocolate like cup. Medium acidity, gives a little citric/fruit twist at lighte roast levels. Some unique tea like spice notes mainly in the aftertaste. Be sure to hit a medium to dark roast if you do not like a little crispness in the cup. Lighter roasts promote a sweeter more delicate cup, a touch of fruitiness among the citrus/floral, while a medium to dark roast accentuate the spice tones and turn the cup more semi-sweet bakers chocolate like.
Roasting Notes: An easy coffee to roast. Avoid light roasts if you don’t like acidity, go a bit lighter if you do like some crispness. A medium roast really brings out the chocolate and spice nuances, a great starting point and has the best balance of tones. Even roasting beans with medium to low chaff levels
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