Colombia El Obraje
Origin Info
Who: Pablo Guerrero
Region: Narino
Country: Colombia
Varietal: Caturra
Altitude: 1900M
Process: Washed
Taste Notes: Date - Maple Syrup - Chamomile
The Story
We do love our southern Colombian beans here at Triple Co. Here we've got a sweet, clean and textured washed coffee, sourced from another of our producing partners in Narino: Pablo Guerrero. Along with his own farm El Obraje, Pablo founded and helps run PROCAAL coffee (who are behind our BS1 Espresso), an organisation that purchase, process and export coffee from many local farmers in Narino. They have many relationships with social organisations and local communities in the region, with a particular focus on improving quality of life for smallholder communities as well as promoting environmental sustainability.
The climate and terrain of Obraje are major contributing factors to this coffee's unique cup profile. The farm is situated near many volcanic mountains, and the rocky soil is rich with minerals. Obraje often does not receive adequate rainfall and instead has to irrigate select lots using water from the farm’s retention pond. Temperatures vary greatly in a day, ranging from 32°C at noon to 8°C or less at night. These drastic temperature fluctuations slow the maturation of the cherry to a crawl, impacting density and flavour and yielding some pretty special tasting coffee.
Hacienda El Obraje is a truly stunning property high up in the Andes mountain range, with coffee planted on the slopes descending to a river valley. The nearly 100 hectare estate now cultivates coffee on only 25 of its hectares; the rest of the land has been converted into a natural forest reserve by Pablo. By planting more trees and implementing efficient landscape design he has been able to preserve a unique microclimate, as well as providing access to every corner of the farmland.
In the cup, we're getting a date like sweetness, maple syrupy texture and a touch of chamomile on the finish.
