About This Coffee
Bernardo Restrepo and his wife were born in Buenos Aires, Cañasgordas and are proud to raise their family here. Coffee has always been his family’s livelihood and Bernardo inherited their farm, Finca Macanal, from his parents. He purchased an adjacent parcel of land to expand his farm and take over the café there.
Bernardo’s land is near the planned Toyo tunnel. He is concerned that construction will drive up the price of land in the area and outprice him and his family. For that reason, producing specialty coffee has become even more important for his family’s future. Higher prices mean Bernardo and his family can support themselves on their land for longer, even as prices increase due to planned construction.
Harvest & Post-Harvest
Bernardo and his family selectively handpick cherry, and pulp it the same day it is picked. He ferments cherry for 16 hours and then washes it in clean water. Bernardo lays parchment to dry on marquesinas, drying shelves on the roof of his house. If the weather is poor, he uses a mechanical dryer. Bernardo and his family rake 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.