Colombia - Small Producers of Ibagué (Espresso)

Tastes Like: Sweet and creamy, with white peach, red apple and lemon curd. Great balance and sweetness.

This coffee comes from around seven smallholder farms that are situated near the towns of China Alta, Santa Isabel and Cajamarca, which are near the municipality of Ibagué in the Colombian state of Tolima. These villages are located on steep mountains to the north-east of Ibagué, which creep up fast, going from 1,300 meters above sea level to 2,000 meters in a matter of 30-40 kms. Due to the steep terrain and bumpy back road that is required to get there, they take around three hours to access via car.

The farms that contributed to this lot are small – around three hectares in size – and are located at 1,850m above sea level. They farm traditionally, and grow a mix of Caturra, Castillo and Colombia coffee varieties. Fertilisation occurs around three times a year, usually after manual weeding, and pesticides are rarely used. The coffee is selectively hand harvested, with most labour being provided by the farmers and their families.

REGION: La Indepencia, El Tambo, Tolima
TOWNS: China Alta, Santa Isabel, Cajamarca
ELEVATION: 1,300-1,800 MASL

VARIETY: Castillo, Colombia, Caturra
PROCESSING: Washed
CONTRIBUTING PRODUCERS: Fabian Silva, Alexander Mancilla, Geraldine Buitrago, Julio Soscue Villada, Joaquin Casas, Alexander Salazar, Jorge Sandoval