Tasting Notes: Blackberry, Pear, Sugar

Variety: Colombia, Castillo

Processing: Washed

Origin: Huila, Colombia

Producers: Alicia Joven

Altitude: 1800m

Specialty coffee is often a family affair - as is the case with La Ceja. Alicia Joven is the matriarch of a large coffee-growing family, and she manages her farm while her sons also manage specialty coffee growing operations of their own. The family is a member of Coocentral - a coffee-growing cooperative in Huila that invests in improving the working conditions and livelihoods of coffee producers throughout the region - including crop insurance and education for young producers and children of coffee-producing families. The harvest season in Huila is quite spread out, with farmers conducting their main harvest anytime between May and November. This means there's plenty of activity in the coffee-growing community year-round, and great coffees coming out of Huila at almost any time of year.

The flavors in this lot are bright and zesty - a real kick of lime acidity and some pear sweetness jump to the forefront. This is in part thanks to some special treatment beyond traditional wet processing - the coffee is processed anaerobically, and a bit of specialized yeast is added during the fermentation phase which really amps up the flavors present in the cup. These techniques are relatively new and can be difficult to execute - but farmers like the Jovens have been working over the past few seasons to dial in the process so that it amplifies the best qualities in their coffee. It certainly makes for a bold, unforgettable cup - and one that we think the club is going to absolutely love.