Consacá Nariño Regional Blend

The municipality of Consacá is located in the northwest of Colombia’s Nariño department. The area is close to the Galeras Volcano and the Güaitara river. The land’s proximity to the volcano means that farms benefit from nutrient-rich volcanic soil. Consacá is the second-largest coffee producing municipality in Nariño. The area also depends on sugar cane, tomato, green beans and bell peppers to fuel its agricultural economy. Consacá also boasts some of the best drying conditions in Colombia. The high altitude means lower relative humidity, and the area has more wind and more sunny days compared to most other areas in the country. This coffee differs in one important way from many coffees from the region. Most farmers who produce coffee in Consacá are paid market rate. Farmers contributing to this blend, however, were paid a premium for the high quality of their production.

During the harvest season, cherry is carefully handpicked by smallholder farmers and their families. All farmers who contributed to this lot processed their coffee on their own small farms using the traditionally Fully washed process. Coffee is pulped on the same day as being picked and is then fermented. Depending on the weather conditions fermentation can range between 12 up to 48 hours. Due to the small daily harvests, some producers will add several layers of wet parchment over the course of a few days. This can lower the pH of the fermenting coffee and can add complexity to the final cup profile. Following fermentation, the coffee is washed with clean water. Then, coffee is dried in parabolic dryers, which look a lot like greenhouses. The long drying time of approximately 20 days ensures the coffee is properly dried and reaches 12% moisture level. About Nariño The Nariño department sits in the far south of Colombia. It borders Ecuador and the high Andean peaks. It’s closeness to the equator enables coffee growing at very high altitudes. Many farms are located at heights surpassing 2,000 metres above sea level. While coffee growing is not traditionally seen at such high altitudes, it is possible in Nariño thanks to plenty of sunlight, dependable and frequent rainfall and rich soils. Furthermore, the landscape helps ensure nights do not get too cold for growing cherry. The heat that accumulates in the bottom of canyons rises into the mountains at night, protecting cherry from the extreme nighttime cold that comes with such a high altitude.

The Nariño department sits in the far south of Colombia. It borders Ecuador and the high Andean peaks. Its closeness to the equator enables coffee cultivation at very high altitudes. Many farms are located at heights surpassing 2,000 meters above sea level. 

While coffee growing is not traditionally seen at such high altitudes, it is possible in Nariño thanks to plenty of sunlight, dependable and frequent rainfall, and rich soils. Furthermore, the landscape helps ensure nights do not get too cold for growing cherry. The heat that accumulates in the bottom of canyons rises into the mountains at night, protecting cherry from the extreme nighttime cold that comes with such a high altitude.

There are no less than three volcanoes in the Cordillera Occidental, a branch of the Andes mountains in Colombia. These volcanoes reach altitudes as high as 4,700 meters above sea level. While volcanic activity can sometimes present hazards to life and coffee farming, the rich volcanic soil full of nutrients provides an excellent growing medium for coffee plants. The nutrients, combined with lower temperatures helps to slowly form coffee fruits and concentrate their sugars. The result is complex, sweet and acidic coffees.