About This Coffee
Leonel is a small producer with only 4,000 coffee trees on about 0.6 hectares. He was born in La Sierrita, the same village where he now cultivates coffee. As a young man, he worked in Medellín but returned to La Sierrita after several years. Leonel and his wife, Doña Tereza, have two children.
While his land is small, he plans to continue producing high quality lots like this one and eventually own a productive coffee-growing business.
Harvest & Post-Harvest
Leonel selectively handpicks cherry, and pulps it the same day it is picked. He ferments cherry for 16 to 18 hours and then washes it in clean water. Leonel parchment to dry on drying shelves on the roof of his house. Leonel rakes parchment frequently to ensure even drying.
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 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 and Organic.