New Seasonal Blend Coffee Release: Summer Blend V2
Summer Blend V2
Colombia Inza Cauca
El Salvador San Jose Ataco
Uganda White Nile
Flavour: White chocolate, passion fruit, berry spice
Body: medium, high
Roast: light — medium
Acidity: yellow plums
Brewing method: espresso, Mokapot, pourover
Varietal(s):Caturra, Colombia, Castillo, Pacas, Sarchimor, SL 14 & Catimor
Processing: Wet processed
Altitude: 1 250 — 1 800 masl
We are pleased to introduce our second blend of the season. This blend (Summer Blend V2) is a slight variation of V1. Perfect for the summer, this blend has a fruity acidity and flavour to it.
Colombia Inza Cauca
Association: Asociación de Productores de Café del Oriente Caucano (ASORCAFE)
Varietals(s): Mostly Caturra (70%+) w/Colombia & Castillo
Processing: Fully washed & dried on parabolic and raised beds
Altitude: 1 500 – 1 800 masl
Owner: 52 small holder farmers
Town: Pedregal and San Antonio
Region: Inzá, Cauca
The municipality of Inzá is located in the corner of the Department of Cauca, bordering with Tolima and Huila and looking out to the west over the Pacific Ocean. Situated on the “Macizo Colombiano” (the Colombian Plateau), which surrounds the high peaks of Tolima and Huila, the region is an important source of water and wildlife, in addition to being prime coffee growing land.
The association of coffee growers, ASORCAFE, was founded in 2004 by 10 coffee growers with an entrepreneurial spirit who were tired of private parchment buyers who were paying them below national prices. The region’s violent past, with a heavy presence of FARC guerrillas, had historically prevented the FNC (Colombia’s excellent national coffee board) and specialty-focused exporters from establishing a presence in the region. As violence has diminished, it has enabled the growers in the region to seek increased access to markets for quality, not only taking advantage of the region’s wonderful coffee-growing conditions but also the economic resource that nearby tourist destinations bring (for instance, the World Heritage Site “Parque Nacional Arqueológico de Tierradentro”).
El Salvador San Jose Ataco
Farm: Finca San José
Varietal(s): Pacas & Sarchimor
Processing: Dry pulped, fermented & washed; dried on raised beds (parihuelas)
Altitude: 1 250 masl
Owner: Cayro, S.A. de C.V.
Town: Apaneca
Region: Apaneca-Ilamatepec, Ahuachapán
Country: El Salvador Total size of farm: 60 hectares
Area under coffee: 50 hectares
Like so many coffee farms in the region – Finca San José had been virtually abandoned for many years. Years of coffee price volatility combined with the appearance of coffee leaf rust in the region has made farming coffee a losing proposition in many producers’ eyes. San José was an old farm that had changed hands on many occasions, with very little love being spent despite its ideal location. Rolando, however, saw the farm’s potential. As part of his wider growth plan, he acquired the farm and immediately set about renovating 50 hectares of the farm’s poorly maintained coffee trees. The farm kept its original name – but everything else changed.
Rolando is passionate about learning and experimentation, which has led him to experiment with new processes and practices. As of 2017, the farm is experimenting with extended and anaerobic fermentation. He is also looking at the possibility of establishing a drying greenhouse, so the drying process is more uniform. Although the farm is already very advanced with regards to agricultural practice, Rolando still has great plans for the future and always maintains an innovative outlook. He plans to renovate 10% of the farm annually, replanting with high quality varietals that are also rust resistant – always looking towards improving the face of El Salvador’s coffee.
Uganda White Nile
Partner: Kawacom Paidha Sustainable Project
Varietal(s): SL 14 & Catimor
Processing: Fully washed & sun dried (finished in mechanical driers)
Altitude of farms: 1 450 – 1 800 masl
Owner: Various smallholder farmers
Town: Nyagak-Paidha, Zombo district
Region: Northern Uganda – West Nile region
The White Nile project gains its name from the famous Murchison Falls (Kalangala in local dialect), which lie only a few kilometres away. It is here that the mighty River Nile squeezes itself into a 7 meter volcanic rock stretch, forming white foam as it proceeds, hence turning into a ‘White’ Nile as it pours into Lake Albert.
Kawacom – our suppliers exporting partner in Uganda – initiated their White Nile Organic Coffee project in 1998 in an effort to harness the potential for high quality Arabica in the area. By promoting the cultivation of Arabica coffee, training farmers in agricultural techniques and best practices, educating widely regarding the importance of harvest and post harvest activities, and building top-notch washing stations, the project hopes to put Uganda ‘on the map’ as the next big destination for speciality coffee.