COLOMBIA blackcurrant ∙ orange zest ∙ toffee
Finca San José has been proudly produced by Carlos Belo, whose hobby is growing coffee. He is developing and experimenting with new techniques to achieve his sole aim: to grow really unique coffees on his farm called Finca San José.
W
hile Brazil produces 30-35% of the world’s coffee, it is closely followed by Colombia with about 12%. Colombian coffees are of superior quality due several factors: the country’s high altitude, the quality oriented methods of cherry picking, and the careful management of micro-lots. The interests of local farmers are protected by the well-organized Corporation of Colombian Coffee Growers. There is a definite need for such an organization, as there are more than six hundred thousand small farms at the altitude of 1200-1400 meters, each smaller than 2 hectares. The Andes divide Colombia into regions and have created many unique micro-climates.
at the altitude of 1750 metres. He has invented new processing methods that highlight the fruitiness of the coffees: e.g. the beans are fermented without water for 12 hours following harvest and pulping, and later the fermenting process is slowed down and stopped by gradually filling the fermenting tanks with water. This water is then drained and the beans are dry-processed again for another 12 hours. Carlos is currently busy with installing new fermenting tanks and building new greenhouses that are suitable for controlled drying. The coffee you are holding in your hands has also been processed with these new techniques and has been dried in one of new greenhouses.
Carlos Belo is one of the very few people who grow coffee not for a living, but as a hobby. His 15 hectare-farm, Finca San José, is in Pitalito where Carlos experiments with different coffee varietals and processing methods. He dedicates all his free time to his sole aim: to grow truly excellent coffees. He grows Pink Bourbon and Tabi varietals on his farm
We wholeheartedly support the way Carlos is experimenting with processing, as his aim is to create superior quality coffees, irrespective of coffee variants. Even our widely experienced supplier was really surprised at the silky, toffee-like mouthfeel of Finca San José, a coffee characterized by notes of blueberry, blackberries and orange zest.
Our coffees taste the best when extracted with water of the proper hardness* range. In order to highlight the best flavour of our roasts we recommend having 5 to 10 days of resting period after roasting, but consume within two weeks of opening. Enjoy!
* Total hardness: 50 –175 ppm CaCO3 (2.9–9.8 °d), ppm CaCO3 (2.2–4.2 °d), pH: 6.5-8.0.
alkalinity/buffer: 40 –75 (The SCAE Water Chart)
photo by The Coffee Quest
FINCA SAN JOSÉ