About the coffee:
Cupping notes: Citric acidity, full-bodied and very sweet, with notes of cherry, cane sugar, and tangerine
Cultivation: Shade-grown on the high slopes of the Andes mountains in southwest Colombia
Varieties: Castillo, Caturra, Colombia
Elevation: 6,000-6,200 feet
Processing: Washed, sun-dried on patios
About the people who grow it:
Small farmers produce this coffee in the town of La Union in Nariño. Nariño, in southwestern Colombia, high on the slopes of the Andes, has always produced some of the most complex Colombian coffee. Very high altitude, proximity to the Pacific Ocean, and the canyons that cross the area create the perfect combo of weather and temperature that allows for a slow maturation of cherries and a full development of flavor. The average size of a farm in La Union is between 2 and 4 hectares. Family members manage them, taking care of the picking, de-pulping, and patio drying in farm premises and delivering parchment to dry mill for final sorting and classification of quality. Because of the high altitude of the farms (5700 ft above sea level), producers in the area often refer to their farms as “pieces of heaven on earth.” That’s why they named this lot El Cielo. In this coffee you will find a sweet cup with a clean finish and complex citrus notes. The farmers are aided in their milling, marketing, and exporting by Pergamino Coffee in partnership with Terra Coffee in Nariño. Their first container of certified organic coffee was purchased in 2020.
About me:
Since 2004 I have been a home coffee-roasting enthusiast, always in search of high-quality, socially-responsible, and environmentally-sustainable green coffee beans. I discovered the best way to do this is nurture relationships with importers who care as much about ethical coffee as I do and to rely on their on-the-ground knowledge of coffee farms around the world. So in 2008, I started buying green coffee in quantity and reselling to home coffee roasters like myself. This little side business has brought me great satisfaction, as I now have ready access to an outstanding variety of coffee myself, and I have helped many other home roasters (even a few micro-roasting businesses) get great coffee for great prices.
My guiding principles:
- All my coffee is grown by farms that pay fair wages, use sustainable agricultural practices, and improve their community. I've traveled to coffee-producing regions, and seen how people live. Growing coffee can and should improve people's lives and respect God's creation. Through my importer, I have direct knowledge of where the coffee comes from, and how that farm operates. I share that information with you here.
- Buy it fresh, sell it fresh. I buy only from the current crop year, and move it from warehouse to my house to your house as fast as possible.
- Keep prices low. I'm not in it for the money. I have a full-time job, and this isn't it.
- Provide prompt and personal customer service. I'll try to answer any questions, and give advice to start-up roasters if you want it.
Returns:
If you don't get the coffee you ordered, or you found it defective or damaged during shipping, I will gladly offer you a full refund or replacement within 14 days, provided you return the entire defective order. However, since coffee quality is a matter of personal taste, and a great coffee can easily be spoiled by mistakes in roasting, please don't ask for a refund if you just don't like the flavor of the coffee after you roasted it. But rest assured! I don't sell any coffee beans that I haven't roasted myself, brewed, consumed, and greatly enjoyed.