About This Coffee
The Process
This lot is processed using a unique fermentation method with citrillus fruit nectar (watermelon, melon), lactobacillus and saccharomyces cerevisiae (brewer's yeast), enhancing the coffee’s natural sweetness and high Brix levels to develop a distinct and complex profile. The coffee cherries are fermented for 190 hours, then depulped, thoroughly washed, and dried on parabolic beds for 10-15 days.
The Region
Palestina is located in the southern part of Huila, one of the four departments that make up Colombia’s new coffee-producing axis. The mountains of Palestina offer a unique microclimate that supports the growth and development of many varietals. As a result, varieties such as Pink Bourbon, Java, Chiroso, Gesha, Caturra, Colombia, Castillo, can also be found, contributing to a diverse and expanding coffee landscape.
Local coffee growers are known for their deep knowledge and expertise in cultivating and caring for each coffee plant all the way to harvest, ensuring beans of consistently high quality.
History of Coffee in Colombia
As with many coffee origins, it is believed that coffee was first brought to Colombia by priests, arriving, perhaps, within a decade or two after coffee first came to the Americas via the Caribbean in the first half of the 17th century. It was likely a garden crop grown for local consumption and barter for decades. Unlike other coffee regions, we have the story of a priest named Francisco Romero, who could be called the father of commercial coffee cultivation in Colombia. The folkloric tale goes that in the early 1800’s, Father Francisco, hearing confessions in the north eastern town of Salazar de la Palmas, assigned planting coffee to his parishioners as penance for their sins. The Archbishop of Colombia heard about this and ordered all priests to adopt the practice. Commercial production of coffee expanded quickly, moving into regions where the growing conditions were ideal.