Colombia Narino Sandoná (2020 Crop)

This blend hails from one of Nariño’s smallest and newest municipalities, Sandoná. Located 48 kilometers from the departmental capital of Pasto, via the route that traces the periphery of the semi-active Galeras Volcano, Sandoná is best known both nationally and internationally for the high-quality woven goods produced by the women of this region, specifically for their various kinds of sombreros, or wide-brimmed hats. Traditionally, the men of the community harvest the Iraka palm’s youngest fronds (also known as the Toquillo palm, among many other names) by the light on the waning moon. During the following days, the artisans will process the plants by tying, submerging, drying and bleaching the fronds in order to create the natural fibers that will then be woven carefully, sometimes over several weeks, by the women, young and old alike, of Sandoná’s 44 veredas.

Sandoná is the name the Spanish invaders gave this land, and it is one of many that this municipality has seen over the decades. The area where Sandoná is located, in central Nariño, used to be known as the “Llano de los aguacates”, the “avocado flats”.

The municipal capital sits on the Paltapamba plateau, a flat and verdant table top mountain with an altitude of 1,848 m.a.s.l. Sandoná’s main economy, besides the aforementioned artisanal tradition, centers around its two main crops: sugar cane and coffee. There are approximately 3,000 hectares of sugar cane planted in Sandoná currently. This fast-growing species of grass is used for the production of unrefined sugar—a staple in any Colombian pantry—known as panela. 1,500 hectares of coffee are planted today in Sandoná, and the Castillo beans that went into this blend represent the very best of coffee production from the western banks of the Guáitara River.

After the cherry was hand-selected for peak ripeness, it was de-pulped and fermented for 13 to 15 hours, after which the beans were put out to dry on raised beds for a period between eight to twelve days. The resulting cup is full-bodied with a brilliant acidity and notes of citrus and milk chocolate.