The Variety

Hometown Heroes

Located in Buesaco, Nariño, La Mina is a farm run by the López family, whose dedication to quality has played a major role in raising the region's reputation as a top destination for finding the best of the best.

One of the southernmost coffee regions in Colombia, Bueasco lies just north of the Equator, where the combination of high elevation—many farms there are situated above 2000 meters—with intense sun, volcanic soils, and cool Pacific winds provides a near ideal terroir.

Under the stewardship of Franco López, La Mina has won more awards in national competitions than any other producer in Colombia. His daughter, Cielo, and her husband, Nilson, have spent much of the last decade helping other producers in Buesaco adopt innovative quality practices and increase the value of their coffees.

Post-Harvest

La Mina has to its credit five wins at the Colombia Cup of Excellence. That's five more than most of its neighbors even though it looks just like all the others in the neighborhood — it isn't any bigger, doesn't use any experimental farming practices, doesn't make use of special technology. The López family has all the same varieties as everyone else. But oh, the cherry. It is gorgeous when it is harvested, then it goes onto Don Franco's worn red wooden table, where every. single. fruit. is touched and reviewed before being released for processing. The result is a pile of cherry so ripe and uniform that it is a thing to behold.

After being meticulously sorted, this coffee was depulped, washed, and sent on its way to the next step in the process: fermentation. However, contrary to tradition, it was not sent to the usual open-air fermentation tanks...

Bourbon has fallen out of favor with farmers because it is susceptible to diseases like leaf rust, coffee berry, and nematodes. But the farmers who plant this variety at high elevations and effectively manage diseases are rewarded with a stunning cup quality like this lot that we selected.

Anaerobic Fermentation

It's not every day that coffees hit our menu with processing methods typically associated with so-called 'funky' flavors but, if executed with precision, unique processing methods can help make a coffee sing. Such is the case with this lot.

When fermentation takes place in an oxygen-free, or anaerobic, environment, the activity of naturally occurring yeast, bacteria, and microorganisms slows down. As this activity breaks down the sugars present in the coffee pulp, lactic acid, carbon dioxide, and alcohol are produced. While this process is key to flavor development, if taken too far, it can result in an over-fermented or even 'boozy' tasting coffee. However, when carefully managed and monitored, a slower fermentation process can allow more time for the coffee to develop complexity, yielding profiles like this one with deep sweetness and expressive acidity.

Look for

Black Grape | Lime | Hibiscus

This Coffee is Direct Trade and in Season.

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