Laderas del Tapias Caturra Natural

Rodrigo Alberto Pelaez has been farming coffee at Finca Laderas del Tapias since 2000 and producing specialty coffee since 2014. The farm is named for the nearby river, Tapias, and means “Hillside of Tapias.”

In search of better value addition for his coffee, Rodrigo attained a specialty coffee producing certificate and began focusing on differentiated profiles for his coffees. He has hired an agronomist and Q grader to evaluate his coffee and assess potential improvements for his farm. He also has regular soil analysis performed on the farm.

Finca Laderas del Tapias sits on nutrient-rich volcanic soils in Caldas. The cooler weather and high altitudes of 1,800 to 1,900 meters above sea level create the ideal microclimate for growing sweet, dense cherry.  

Rodrigo invests in training laborers in proper cherry selection and pays them fairly to incentivize strong selective picking. Once harvested, cherry is lightly fermented for 48 hours and then placed in silos to dry. The silos slowly dry coffee at temperatures below 38 degrees Celsius for approximately 10 days.

Parts of Caldas are located in Eje Cafetero, the Colombian Coffee Growing Axis. Eje Cafetero was the first major coffee-producing region in Colombia. For many years, the region held the distinction of being the most well-known and highly sought-after Colombian coffee region. Tropical rainforest conditions, volcanic soil and a wealth of rivers and streams in Eje Cafetero make the area ideal for coffee growing.

Today, producers in Caldas are increasingly focused on high-quality coffee production. These producers have become common and well-known enough to earn an affectionate colloquial name in the region. They’re called juiciosos (literally: sensible/wise), which in this case means hard-working and attentive to detail. In addition to finding ways to perfect existing processing methods, juiciosos are experimenting with new processing methods and planting new varieties of coffee.