Brayan Alvear Creamy Strawberry FW

Finca Las Palmas, located in Risaralda, has an ideal climate and solid conditions to support diverse varieties, such as Caturra, Castillo, Pink and Red Bourbon, Chiroso, Geisha and Sidra (among others). His focus on innovation and agronomic care has helped the farm build a reputation for unique coffees with high cup scores, especially his micro-lots like this one.

During harvest, Brayan and his team selectively handpick ripe cherries, usually making sure to keep strict separation of varieties. While a strawberry mixture is prepared with yeast, cherry is dry fermented for 30 to 40 hours. Then cherry is dry-pulped and undergoes a second fermentation process of 40 to 50 hours. Once these two fermentations are done, the strawberry mixture is added to the parchment in sealed barrels for a 120-hour dry fermentation, boosting the production of fruity and acidic flavors. Once fermentation is complete, parchment is sundried on patios for up to 15 days, depending on climate conditions.

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. 

Castillo is a variety released by Colombia’s National Center for Coffee Investigation (CENCICAFE) in 2005. It is marked by high yield and resistance to Coffee Leaf Rust (CLR). Its dwarf size means it can be planted close together for higher per-hectare yields. Research has indicated that Castillo has a strong quality potential, contrary to popular quality assumptions about Castillo. 

Caturra, a coffee variety known for its short, compact stature, is a natural mutation of Bourbon. It was first discovered in Minas Gerais, Brazil around 1915. The variety is the result of the mutation in a single gene of the Bourbon variety that made the plant smaller but still high yielding. As it spread, Caturra enabled higher-density coffee cultivation.

As a direct descendant of Bourbon, Caturra is well known for delicate and complex flavors that are often floral and fruity. At the same time, its close relationship with Bourbon means Caturra is very susceptible to coffee leaf rust (CLR) and other common coffee diseases and pests. As a result, Caturra was later bred with CLR-resistant hybrids from Timor-Leste, producing the Catimor and its subsequent varieties.

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.