Colombia Finca El Marchito 120 Hour Anaerobic Washed
Captain's Gold top 3! You've had Colombian coffee, but have you ever had the Colombia variety of coffee? This single cultivar selection was carefully processed by Indigenous producer Justiniano Paya in order to elevate the humble hybrid and we were blown away by the result. It's clean, floral and bright with notes of orange blossom, tropical fruit, peach & white chocolate.
You may have had plenty of Colombian coffee, but have you ever tasted the actual Colombia cultivar? Odds are you have and didn’t know it, though almost certainly as a part of a variety blend. Its lineage can be traced back 4 or 5 generations ago when farmers where hoping to combine the high yield, disease resistant and tasty cup qualities of the Caturra variety with the nearly coffee leaf rust immune Timor variety. The result is a workhorse hybrid that despite sometimes being credited with saving the Colombian coffee industry during outbreaks of coffee rust leaf, often goes overlooked in the world of high end coffee. But at his farm El Marchito in the Indigenous Nasa Wesx community of Gaitania, producer Justiniano Paya decided it was high time the humble cultivar received recognition for also being capable of a world class cup.
So he sorted out his absolute best and most ripe Colombia cherries, gave them a whopping 120 hour anaerobic fermentation, then carefully washed and dried them in the shade. The result is a cup that I was convinced was a Bourbon or at the very least a Caturra. It’s bright yet soft like overripe citrus with notes of orange blossom, passion flower, tropical fruit and peach along with a white chocolate undertone. That might read as “intensely fruity and sweet” but the cup is so much more balanced than that. It’s sweet, certainly, but not juicy like a natural processed coffee. More like fruity sparkling water than orange soda. It’s refined. And the body is spectacular! Much more rich than it has any right to be. All topped off with a lovely creamy mouthfeel and every so slightly tangy finish. If you’ve never gotten a chance to try the Colombia variety, this lot is the best showcase I can imagine.
Reminder! This coffee is raw, you must roast it before brewing
Arrival Date: January 29th, 2025. Harvest year: 2024, Packed in GrainPro
Acidity & Brightness: Gently bright and sweet.
Balance & Finish: Very balanced with a crisp, slightly tangy finish.
Body & Texture: Rich with a creamy texture
Flavors: Orange blossom, tropical fruit, peach & white chocolate.
Grade: Excelso, 14/16 screen size, Grown at 1,600 – 2,100 masl, SHB
Processing: Fermented for 120 hours in anaerobic bags before pulped and fully washed. Shade dried.
Grower: Justiniano Paya | Finca El Marchito
Region: La Palmera Village, Gaitania, Tolima, Colombia.
Varieties: Colombia
Recommended Roast Range: City+ to Full City+ (Light-medium to Medium-dark)
We like this coffee best at City + (Light-medium) or as first crack has begun to trail off. We find this “lighter side of medium” roast level really showcases the florals and citrus in the cup. If you prefer a more balanced cup, feel free to take this coffee to a full medium, or just after first crack has trailed off. Pushing the roast into the first few snaps of second crack will yield a more chocolate focused cup at the expense of the more subtle floral notes, but the cup will pick up a bit more body and creamy texture.
Belco Coffee - "Finca El Marchito is the place of work and source of happiness of the Paya family, located in the village of La Palmera of the Nasa Wesx reservation of Gaitania Tolima, in a secluded place but with everything necessary to produce high quality coffee and great happiness to deliver the best of work to all who drink the coffee. The road to the farm is difficult, long and very different from what the well located farms are used to. There is no paved road and access is limited and restricted because it is indigenous community territory. However very welcome for people who want to know and share the ideas and dreams of our community members and customers, it is a place of peace and reflection for all who can visit it.”
Justiniano Paya - ”I was born and grew up in the middle of the war with the FARC where I was orphaned. From a very young age I worked in coffee farms in Huila and Tolima and returned to the community a few years later where there was already a peace process to return and work with coffee. Since those years I have my farm and work to leave my children and grandchildren that inheritance of work and life. Since I was a child, my elders taught me how to work and I have been working with coffee all my life.”
