Elkin Guzman Catiope Melaza Cofermented

Elkin Guzman cultivates coffee on 31 hectares at Finca El Mirador in Palestina, Huila. Huila’s high altitudes and fertile soils provide excellent growing conditions for cultivating specialty coffee. In order to further differentiate his coffees, Elkin has been experimenting with innovative processing methods, such as the  

This lot is comprised of the Catiope variety. Elkin obtained Catiope seeds from an experimental farm in Cauca over a decade ago. The variety is the result of a cross between Caturra and an Ethiopian local landrace variety. There is some variation among trees, but most trees are short and can be planted closer together. Catiope has uniform ripening and a sugar content between 20 and 22 degrees according to Brix.  

Elkin calls this lot “Melaza cofermented” for its unique process of fermentation combined with the addition of molasses, that gives it a unique, sweet and refined taste.  The process was developed after exploring lactic and anaerobic fermentation, which are common in coffee production. Researchers discovered that aerobic microorganisms, which thrive in oxygen, can also create unique flavors. To experiment with these flavors, they conducted fermentation trials in water, using a submersible pump to recirculate and oxygenate the environment. They added 20 kilos of molasses, a sugar cane by-product, to provide energy for the microorganisms. 

Elkin’s farm is 31 hectares in size. The farm has nutrient-rich soil that’s sandy loam and clay loam with a good reserve of humus and organic matter. As a result, the coffee trees are well-fed with great nutrition.  

Coffee is grown under a semi-shade system that helps with temperature regulation and optimizes photosynthesis.    

Cherry is selectively handpicked and only cherry of the perfect ripeness is used for this process. The average Brix degree for cherry used for this processing is 20 to 24. Elkin provides periodic training for workers to ensure they’re selecting the best cherry for processing.  

Once picked, cherry is hand sorted, floated to remove underripes and fermented whole for 60 to 96 hours with 20 kg of molasses. The fermenting mixture is maintaed at  low temperatures (14°C-18°C) to stabilize pH levels between 3.5 and 4. Following fermentation, cherry is sun dried for 25 to 30 days. Cherry is raked every 3 hours to ensure even drying.  

Founded by experienced agricultural trader Vicente Mejía, Clearpath Coffee works with producers in Colombia and exports high quality, sustainable single-origin coffees from smallholders, cooperatives and estates. Clearpath partners with producers to support ethical, sustainable growth through fair prices, direct communication with buyers and building long term relationships with sustainability-minded buyers.