Tolima Organic
During the harvest, once the cherries are ripe, each producer will pick and gather the cherries and deliver to their mill onsite. The cherries are submerged in a tank of clean water in order to remove the under and overripe cherries. They are then pulped immediately with a machine to remove the external fruit. The freshly cleaned beans will then be left to ferment for 18 – 24 hours in order to breakdown the mucilage. Afterwards, the coffee is spread out evenly on patios, roofs, or raised beds to dry in the open sun until the ideal moisture content is reached. As soon as the coffee is dried, it is bagged and delivered to the dry mill in Popayan,
belonging to our exporting partner in Colombia, Condor. From there, the coffee is hulled, sorted, and prepared for export.
- Farm Tolima Organic
- Varietal Castillo, Catimor, Caturra
- Process Fully washed
- Altitude 1,560 – 2,010 metres above sea level
- Town / City Gaitania, Planadas
- Region Tolima
- Owner 50 smallholder farms
- Tasting Notes Jammy, panela, stone fruit
- Farm Size Less than 5 hectares on average
Colombia is the third largest coffee-producing country in the world, and thanks to its vast array of unique microclimate, are able to have harvests throughout the year.
Commercial coffee cultivation began in the mid-1830s and spread so rapidly that throughout the twentieth century coffee already became the country’s leading export. A mountainous topography and many tropical micro-climates contribute greatly to Colombia’s reputation for ideal growing conditions, which – in turn – have helped Colombia establish itself as a recognisable origin around the world.
The diversity of coffee and profiles found across Colombia is enormous and coffee is harvested practically year-round depending on the region. The main harvest takes place from October to February with November and December being the peak months. There is also a second fly (or ‘mitaca’) crop several months later, again varying by region and microclimate.