Coffee category: Bright
Process: Natural
What to expect: A standout microlot, this is a limited release that you don't want to miss. A perfectly balanced fermentation adds lots of sweetness to this coffee along with lots of bright fruity flavours. Expect notes of Guava and watermelon with a juicy pineapple finish.
Producer: Francy Castillo
Region: Arboleda, Narino
Altitude: 2,148m above sea level
Varietals: Colombia
Francy and her four sisters grew up helping their parents at the coffee farm, which inspired her to major in Agronomy to provide support and management for the family business. She completed her university degree through distance learning all while working on her farm to pay for her studies. After graduating in 2019, she began working at the FNC as a Field Assistant around her hometown of Arboleda, Nariño. She also gained experience in sensory development by working at a private export lab in Buesaco. In her own words, "I became even more interested in coffee and day by day I wanted to learn more about the beautiful world of coffee".
PROCESS
At El Ubérrimo, farm tasks like planting, fertilization, and harvesting are done with the help of Francy's neighbours and family members. Production practices on the farm focus on using the least amount of chemicals to preserve the naturally occurring microbial life in the soil. This helps support the growth of healthy coffee plants. This is evident in the clean, sweet, and complex flavours in the final cup.
Before harvest, the cherries are left on the tree to ripen further until they develop a deep, wine-like colour, with average brix degrees above 20°B, usually taking an additional three weeks. Once the majority of cherries have reached their ideal sweetness and colour, the ripe ones are picked and undergo a in-tank fermentation for about 100-120 hours. Afterwards, the cherries are dried on raised beds for 22 days and then the drying is refined on patios, until the grains reach a targeted 10 to 11.5% moisture content.
