Tasting Notes: Apple, Citrus, Plum

Variety: Castillo, Caturra

Processing: Washed

Origin: Narino, Colombia

Producers: Narino Small-holders

Altitude: 1700-2000m

Cup Score (Importer): 87.5

We're very excited to have some of 2019's crop of Recolectores. This is a new grower's initiative in Colombia that focuses on a key player in coffee production: the people that pick the cherries. In Colombia, all too often pickers (or 'recolectores') are underpaid and don't receive mandatory benefits like healthcare and pensions - leading many to abandon the job for other work. This project was a collaboration between 12 small farms that agreed to specially train a team of coffee pickers and guarantee their salary and benefits via commitments from exporters to pay premiums for the harvested crops. It's a system that ensures the workers are compensated fairly and in turn, leads to higher quality lots since the pickers are specially trained. For small farms in the region that don't employ their own workers full time, we hope to see more of this system in the future, and more excellent lots as a result!

Recolectores is a coffee that's deliciously bright and crisp - we're picking up on notes of apple and citrus, as well as a smoother plum note with some depth. It's a really lovely coffee with a wonderful story, and we're glad to support the initiative again by picking up a few bags for the club to enjoy. This year, the farmers included a list of the pickers who harvested this crop - we've included it below to highlight their contribution to this great brew!

• Brayan Noguera
• Ana Luz Perez
• Mercedes Villota
• Nataly Ramos
• Alejandra Barahona
• Ruby Barahona
• Fabiola Barahona
• Magaly Barahona
• Lida Armero
• Carolina Portillo
• Esperanza Gaitan
• Leidy Tulcanes
• Sandra Imbaquin
• Marlin Imbaquin
• Juan David Imbaquin
• Lucila Guachares
• Mary Cordoba
• Miguel Cabrera
• Alexandra Diaz
• Anaid Erazo
• Fernando Erazo
• Gabriela Portillo
• Martha Estrella
• Daliz Cabrera
• Rigoberto Diaz Navarro
• Alexa Diaz
• James Guerrero
• Mayerly Cabrera
• Romelia Cabrera
• Milena Lopez
• Robert Mejia
• Santiango Mejia
• Mirtha Noguera
• Alejandra Galuiz
• Miriam Cabrera
• Laura Yandar
• Mary Cordoba