About This Coffee
This coffee was produced by smallholder farmers in Alto del Obispo in San Agustin, Huila. Altitudes in the region are high, averaging around 1,700 to 1,800 meters above sea level. Farms are, on average, about 3 hectares.
The farmers producing this lot are a part of Grupo Asociativo El Bombo Pitalito Inza, Asombombo for short. Asobombo was founded by Luis Alfredo Diaz to increase market access and attain fair, sustainable prices for their coffee. Today, their members across Huila, Caquetá, Cauca and Nariño are Organic certified and sell their coffees with Asobombo to garner higher prices for their hard work.
Harvest & Post-Harvest
Farmers selectively handpick ripe, red cherry and process it on their farms. They pulp cherry on small hand crank pulpers and ferment it for about 30 to 34 hours. Following fermentation, they wash parchment in clean water and lay it to dry, typically in parabolic dryers. They rake parchment frequently to ensure even drying. It takes approximately 17 to 20 days
About Huila
The Huila region is one of the most well-known coffee growing areas of Colombia. The Department of Huila has a population of 1.125 million and is located in the southwest of the country. The capital of the department is Neiva, a city of about 380,000.
Along with Cauca and Nariño, Huila is one the three departments where the Colombian Massif is located. A massif is a group of mountain ranges and the Colombian Massif, which is known locally as Nudo de Almaguer, provides up to 70% of safe drinking and agricultural water for the Colombian population.
The Magdalena River, Colombia’s largest river, runs through the region, providing plenty of water for coffee farming and generating (directly and indirectly) up to 86% of Colombia's GDP. The mountain range also features the fertile volcanic soil so typical to the Andean Mountains.
Coffee in Colombia
Colombia has been producing and exporting coffee renowned for their full body, bright acidity and rich aftertaste, since the early 19th century.
Colombia boasts a wide range of climates and geographic conditions that, in turn, produce their own unique flavors in coffee. This also means that harvest times can vary quite a bit. In fact, between all its different regions, Colombia produces fresh crop nearly all year round.
The increasing focus on the specialty industry is changing the way traders and farmers do business. It is becoming more common for farmers to isolate the highest quality beans in their lots to market separately. These higher-quality lots are often sold under specific brands or stories.
Besides its wide variety of cup profiles, Colombia has quickly expanded its certification options over the past 10 years. The most common certifications available are Fairtrade, Rainforest Alliance, UTZ and Organic.