Colombia Tolima Indigenas de San Pedro Organic

This mixed fermentation coffee comes from a group of Indigenous farmers in the southernmost area of Tolima. It's processed using a local variation of semi-washing that results in an unsually sweet yet clean and crisp cup! It's balanced and full bodied with big notes of brown sugar with hints of orange and baker's chocolate. 

Arrival Date: March 12th, 2021

Acidity & Brightness: Crisp orange acidity and very sweet

Balance & Finish: Balanced with a clean

Body & Texture: Full bodied with a creamy texture

Flavors: Brown sugar, orange and baker's chocolate

Grade: Excelso - Medium large, Grown at 1800-2100 masl

Certifications: Organic

Processing: Mixed fermentation (semi-washed): Cherries are fermented for 24 hours then depulped and fermented for another 24 hours, washed and dried using each producer’s micro-mills

Varieties: Caturra, Castillo, Colombia and Typica

Roasting: We like this coffee best at a medium roast (Full City), though you'll get even more of the subtle floral notes notes at a light-medium (City+). This coffee can handle going darker into Full City+ where you'll notice more bittersweet chocolate and roasted almond and even on into Vienna territory to lean into the baker's chocolate and brown sugar notes.

Recommendation: This coffee is smooth and easy drinking. Great as a classy after dinner cup or for folks who like to be awoken by a more gentle cup of joe.

Reminder! This coffee is raw, you must roast it before brewing!

Our Review: "For many years, Tolima has remained hidden in plain sight cradled between other well-known coffee growing regions because armed conflict and coca leaf production isolated small coffee producers and exposed them to high rates of violence. During this time the municipality of Planadas, located in the southernmost corner of Tolima, had remained an untapped source of specialty coffee where thousands of producers have been cultivating coffee on just a few acres of land intercropped with shade trees, bananas, corn, beans and sugarcane. As conflict has subsided in recent years, locally organized associations have taken the lead in creating market access for these producers. With 91 producer-members, Asociación de Caficultores Indigenas de San Pedro (ASCISP) has focused on certifications and best organic practices, which coincide with their indigenous roots traced to the Nasa we’sh tribe. During the harvest, producers carefully harvest and sort cherries that are fermented for 24 hours then depulped and fermented for another 24 hours, washed, and dried using their own micro-mills. Azahar, a Colombian exporter company, prepares this coffee for export ensuring traceability and quality control throughout the post-harvest process." - Royal Coffee

This coffee is special due to the Indigenous producer's particular method of processing. It's a semi-washed method with 2 stages (or mixed) fermentation: Cherries are fermented for 24 hours then depulped and fermented for another 24 hours, washed and dried using each producer’s micro-mills. This short fermentation period keeps the coffee's latent crisp acidity and clean finish while accentuating it's sweetness and body. It's creamy and very balanced for a semi-washed cup with big notes of brown sugar and hints of orange and baker's chocolate.