About This Coffee
La Provincia blend was produced by smallholders in the municipalities of Chachagüí and Consacá, which are located in the north-central region of Nariño. Nariño, the southernmost department in Colombia, is a coveted coffee growing region. Most farms in Nariño are located at high altitudes, including these lots, which were mostly produced at 1,950 to 2,000 meters above sea level.
Harvest & Post-Harvest
Cherry is selectively handpicked by smallholders and processed on their farms. Cherry is pulped and fermented in bags, buckets or tanks for 16 to 38 hours. Following fermentation, coffee is washed in clean water and laid on patios to dry. Parchment was raked frequently to ensure even drying. It takes 8 to 14 days for parchment to dry.
Azahar
Azahar Colombia works directly with producers to source excellent, traceable coffee from Colombia’s best producing regions. They pride themselves on transparent relationships that improve incomes and quality.
In addition to their exporting arm, Azahar also operates a roastery in Quindío and several cafés in Bogotá that serve superb locally-produced coffees to Colombian consumers.
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.