The current seasonal line-up of our Burning Cliff seasonal blend consists of a natural processed mix of yellow Catuai and Catucai varieties from the Garcia family owned Jaguara and Vale Do Sol Garcia farms in Brazil (60%) blended with a fully washed Caturra and Castillo mix from La Esperanza farm in Colombia (40%). Let's explore the stories behind each coffee.
Antonio Garcia inspects the yellow Catuai cherries
La Esperanza, Colombia
Pedro Chantre and his family produce this coffee from their farm, Finca La Esperanza, in the Huila region of Colombia. The farm is situated at altitudes between 1800 - 1900 MASL. La Esperanza is a member of the Coocentral (Cooperative in Central Huila) cooperative which are running a smallholder project with 70 current farmer members. The Coocentral goals are to improve the quality of the coffee and the livelihoods of the producers and their families. Since 2005, Coocentral have spent 2.8 million USD on social programs including housing, education, healthcare, insurance and pension funds.
The Chantre Family
The cherries are selectively picked and the coffee is processed by washing. Pedro has a small beneficio, which has a small pulper and a fermentation tank. The coffee cherries are pulped and channeled into a fermentation tank. The cherries then sit in the fermentation tank for typically 36 hours but it depends on the temperature. Higher temperatures speed up the process whilst lower temperatures slow it down. The views from the beneficio are stunning!
The benefico (top), Pedro explains how the coffees are pulped and fermented against an amazing backdrop (bottom)
The coffee cherries are stirred in tanks with the under-ripe floaters removed before the reaming coffees are transferred for drying. The coffees are sun dried on raised beds in a parabolic dryer (similar to a green house) for 25 days.
Raised Drying Beds
Familia Garcia #2 lot, Brazil
The Familia Garcia lots are a collobration of two separate Garcia family owned famrs; Jaguara and Vale do Sol. Andre Garcia and his wife Natalia own Jaguara whilst his father Antonio owns Vale do Dol. The farms are located at altitudes between 860 and 950 MASL in the Sul de Minas region of the Minas Gerais State in Brazil.
The Garcia Family
There is a rich history of producing coffee within the Garcia family stemming from Andre's great grandfather Alexandre Garcia Capelo who was a small coffee producer. Antonio Garcia is a trained agricultural engineer and researcher in coffee fertility and coffee nutrition as well as coffee producer. The Garcia family are focussed on improving the living conditions of all farm workers and their families.
The Nursery
The cherries are processed as natural coffees, this is where the whole cherries are dried. The cherries are dried on patio. During the drying process the cherries are turned and inspected regularly to ensure uniform drying and to avoid rotting or mould occuring.
Bird's eye view of the drying patio
Workers spreading the drying coffee cherries