Colombia Las Flores
The Farm
The history of the award-winning Las Flores farm dates back to 1990, when the marriage between Edilberto Vergara and Nubia Ayure, children and grandchildren of coffee growers, moved from their native Cundinamarca to Pitalito, a city in the department of Huila where they bought 16 hectares of land from the which only 2 were planted with coffee trees. Little by little they remodeled the farm and in 1998 it was already in full cultivation of the caturra cultivar. At that time the Vergaras had already formed their family nucleus with their 5 children. One of them explains that “in 2006 my mother decided to compete in La Taza de La Excelencia in which we obtained 16th place and it was at that moment she took the first steps to explore the wonderful world of specialty coffees. Years later our mother died but she left us a very important legacy, a task that we had to carry out in which our mother fervently believed, that the farm had a future if we studied everything related to coffee in depth.”
The commitment of the Vergara brothers involved in the Las Flores farm through their continuous learning, introduction of new varieties, sharing knowledge with other coffee growers has made them leaders in the highest quality coffee sectors and the impact of their work. He is an inspiration for other producers in his country. Experts in processing techniques, they consistently create and replicate different flavor profiles for different coffee cultivars like this semi-washed Java that we have chosen for El Magnifico coffees.
Johan later decided to partner with Finca El Diviso which has been producing coffee for more than 25 years. Being two family farms, they decided to create a company called El Diviso which brings together their family farms. On the part of Las Flores we have Johan Vergara and on the part of El Diviso we have Néstor and Adrián Lasso; an association that looks to the future and that has implemented all its knowledge to improve the quality of its farms.
Process Method
The cherries are harvested at their optimal point of ripeness, then selected and disinfected with alcohol. Next, oxidation is started in a tank for 12 hours and then an anaerobic fermentation (covered) is carried out for 46 hours.
After these 46 hours, it is pulped and finished with oxidation with the mucilage adhered for a further 36 hours.
To finish this whole process: a thermal shock is carried out with water at 50 degrees where the aim is to fix in the grain the compounds generated during the fermentation process that will give the cup a lot of flavor complexity.
The drying process is carried out in a dehumidifying machine for 36 hours that allows controlling the flow of hot air and allows water to be extracted through condensation; This gives a more homogeneous drying.
Finally, the coffee is left to rest for 10 days in the cellar.
Origin
Nariño is the southernmost province of Colombia, bordered by Ecuador and home to thousands of small coffee producing families. The three chains of Andean mountains of Colombia converge in Nariño, presenting ideal altitudes and fertile soils for the production of high Arabica. It is necessary to emphasize that its rough slopes allow that, in a relatively short distance, different temperatures occur during the day.
This peculiarity presents different local eco-climates and microclimates that give suitable conditions for coffee cultivation in terms of availability of water, temperature, solar radiation and wind regime. Its proximity to the equator, about 1 degree to the north, makes warm and humid winds from the bottom of the valleys rise at night, allowing coffee to rise to heights reaching extreme altitudes, some more than 2.300 meters above sea level!
This area of production presents solar radiation of 1.660 hours on average during the year, rain cycles of 1.860 mm, soils with a high content of organic matter that make possible the cultivation of coffee at great heights and temperatures on average of 19°C. Most of the farms have shade, certifications of sustainability and much appreciation, respect and love for nature.
The particular geography of Nariño and its proximity to coastal and land borders has historically transformed it into a corridor for illicit trade routes, resulting in unjustified violence against the residents of remote mountain farms. Nowadays, thanks to the particularly resilient and intrepid spirit of Nariño coffee growers, the small region is a respected nucleus in coffee innovation.
Salvador Sans participated as judge in the 8th edition of the Cup of Excellence of Colombia held in San Juan de Pastos, in Nariño – 2010. He is pleased to confirm that his personal assessment matched with the verdict of the jury and his favourite coffees were prized with the distinction “Presidential Awards”. If you would like to know more about this region Salvador has more details about his Nariño trip in Cafés el Magnífico blog.
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