About This Coffee
Producer Carlos Mario Silva Lezcano has always been in the countryside. He was born and raised in the village where he now makes his livelihood cultivating coffee. His mother purchased the farm in the early 2000s and he has worked on it with her since then. In 2019, he purchased 2 hectares of the land from his mother and began cultivating coffee himself. Today he cultivates Castillo & Colombia on his farms, Finca La Bartola and Finca El Morro. Located in Santa Fe de Antioquia, the high altitude of 2,050 meters above sea level create the ideal conditions for cultivating sweet, dense cherry.
Harvest & Post-Harvest
Carlos selectively handpicks cherry and pulps it the same day. He ferments cherry for 14 hours and then washed is it in clean water. He lays parchment to dry on marquesinas, drying shelves on the roof of his house. Carlos 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.