Colombia - Azahar x Covoya - Victor Barrera Medina Tabi

Meyer lemon, honey, red plum, blood orange

TOP LOT

Bag Weight	24 KG BOX
Harvest Season	2024/25
Status	Spot
Lot Number	P613902-1

Carteret, NJ: Out of Stock Bag(s)

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About This Coffee

Finca El Tesoro's approximately 6,500 coffee trees of both Tabi and Pink Bourbon are planted at 1,700 masl, and spread across 3.5 hectares, not far from Huila's southern border. Don Victor Barrera, is a proud producer who says the name El Tesoro ("the treasure") describes how good his land is. Don Victor was one of the first farmers to take the risk of planting the Tabi varietal, one of the varieties created in the late 70's by Cenicafe Institute in Colombia. Lately has also been cultivating Pink Bourbon and is looking forward to planting more.

For this lot, he left the cherries intact for a long fermentation period of 60 hours, before de-pulping. Later, he sorts the beans before washing and putting the coffee out to dry for 30 days in a parabolic dryer. His dream is to expand his drying area, which he ingeniously designed and built himself: a system of retractable raised beds mounted on wheels that run along tracks. He also aspires to see his daughter take the reins of the family business in the future. When asked about challenges, he chuckles and responds with a question of his own: "What is a challenge? Nothing is too hard if you put your mind to it." If you visit him, he'll likely ask you to leave a message in the El Tesoro guest book.

Country of Origin	Colombia
Region	Palestina, Huila
Producer Type	Single Estate
Farm Name	Finca El Tesoro
Processing	Washed
Processing Description	60hr fermentation, parabolic dryers
Growing Altitude	1700m

Harvest Season	2024/25
Bag Weight	24 KG BOX
Bag Type	Grain Pro / Ecotact
Plant Species	Arabica
Variety	Tabi

History of Colombian Coffee

As with many coffee origins, it is believed that coffee was first brought to Colombia by priests, arriving, perhaps, within a decade or two after coffee first came to the Americas via the Caribbean in the first half of the 17th century. It was likely a garden crop grown for local consumption and barter for decades. Unlike other coffee regions, we have the story of a priest named Francisco Romero, who could be called the father of commercial coffee cultivation in Colombia. The folkloric tale goes that in the early 1800’s, Father Francisco, hearing confessions in the north eastern town of Salazar de la Palmas, assigned planting coffee to his parishioners as penance for their sins. The Archbishop of Colombia heard about this and ordered all priests to adopt the practice. Commercial production of coffee expanded quickly, moving into regions where the growing conditions were ideal.

Growing Coffee in Colombia

Even though it’s been 4,000 years, the soil resulting from the last major eruption of Tolima is still considered “young soil,” filled with nutrients that are no longer found at the same levels in old soil. There is a long list of elements on offer in volcanic soil that are fading or absent in other soils, such as high levels of potassium and nitrogen. Also present is something called “Boron,” which arrived from outer space a long time ago, and is important to cell walls, the creation of enzymes, and the production of flowers and fruit, meaning Boron contributes to yield. Beyond the nutrients, the structure of volcanic soil is also beneficial to coffee growing. It can soak up and hold moisture while, at the same time, facilitate good drainage so water doesn’t pool, which is not good for coffee plant roots. Coffee plants like to take a drink, then take a break. Also, volcanic soils are usually found on an incline, which also helps with drainage.