Colombia Narino - Tito Raul Vasquez - Finca Santa Barbara *TOP LOT*

Red apple, cherry, grape, caramel
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Bag Weight 70 KG BAG
Harvest Season 2019/20
Status Spot
Lot Number P605379-1
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About This Coffee

This washed Colombian microlot comes from Tito Raul Vasquez and his farm Finca Santa Barbara situated in the vereda of El Convento, in the Narino region of southern Colombia.

 

THE PRODUCER

 

Tito Raul Quelal Vasquez inherited Finca Santa Barbara from his father. Located in the municipality of Chachagüí, in the vereda of El Convento, Santa Barbara spans a total surface area of four hectares and sits between 1,800 and 2,050 m.a.s.l. Tito grows the three most popular varieties of coffee (in Colombia)—Castillo, Colombia and Caturra—on the same farm where he grew up among his family’s coffee trees, learning everything he could about traditional coffee production.

 

Tito and his wife have four children—three sons and one daughter—who they hope will follow in their ancestor’s footsteps and continue growing high-altitude coffee. He also raises pork and sells the meat locally. During the height of the harvest, the Quelal Vasquez family employs a group of local women pickers to carry out the careful hand-selection of the coffee cherries. 

 

THE PROCESS

 

After the harvest comes in from the fields, the cherries remain intact overnight. The next morning Tito de-pulps and ferments the beans for 18 to 24 hours. He then washes his coffee, and puts it out to dry in parabolic greenhouses for 9-19 days. The resulting cup is juicy and has notes of lemon juice and panela, or unrefined cane sugar, a staple in every Colombian pantry.

 

THE REGION

 

The temperature at which coffee grows in this part of Nariño ranges between 18°C and 20°C. Chachagüí’s coffee trees are nurtured by the waters of the Pasto and Juanambú rivers. The region’s crops are classified according to their productive life as follows: per-manent (more than 2 years of production), semi-permanent (between 1 and 2 years of production), and annual (up to 1 year of production). On that basis, 42% of Chachagüí’s crops are permanent (coffee), 15% are semi-permanent (sugar cane and banana) and 20% are annual (corn and bean). Although it is clear that there is a great diversity of crops in the municipality, Chachagüí’s economy relies exclusively on primary products such as coffee, beans and corn. The rest of the crops are intended mainly for self-consumption and are occasionally commercialized on a small scale. 

  • Region Narino
  • Farm Name Finca Santa Barbara
  • Producer Type Single Estate
  • Processing Washed
  • Bag Type Grain Pro / Ecotact
  • Plant Species Arabica
  • Variety Castillo, Caturra, Colombia
  • Screen Size 15 Up
  • On Sale No
  • Top Lot No
  • Status Spot
  • Coffee Grade COL CA WA UGQ
  • CTRM Contract Number P605379-1
  • Country of Origin Colombia
  • Warehouse The Annex