Colombia Huila - La Argentina

Maple syrup, chocolate, dried apples, cherry, honeysuckle, violet

TOP LOT

Bag Weight	70 KG BAG
Harvest Season	2025/26
Status	Spot
Lot Number	P613878-4

Alameda, CA: 2 Bag(s)

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About This Coffee

Located in the southwest of Huila, La Argentina is a town with a long tradition in agriculture and mining, where coffee has become one of the most representative and valuable products of the municipality, which has just over 15,000 inhabitants. The coffee growers in the region, mostly families who have inherited a love for the land and the craft, have worked for generations to perfect a unique coffee that reflects the character of their territory.

This coffee's distinctive flavor profile is the result of a two-day fermentation process. The process begins with depulping, where the pulp of the coffee cherries is carefully removed, leaving only the beans. Next, the beans undergo controlled fermentation in tanks for a period of 40 to 50 hours, during which mucilage residues and other impurities are eliminated, allowing the optimal development of their organoleptic characteristics. After fermentation, a meticulous washing is performed using traditional methods that ensure each bean is completely clean. Subsequently, the coffee is carefully dried on parabolic drying beds, utilizing solar energy to achieve a uniform and natural drying process. This drying phase lasts between 10 and 15 days, during which the bean maintains its quality, flavor and freshness while gradually reducing its moisture content to the ideal level for storage and transport.

The commitment of the coffee growers to tradition, innovation and respect for the environment has made La Argentina coffee a high-quality product, a source of community pride, and increasingly recognized in the specialty coffee market.

Country of Origin	Colombia
Region	Huila
Producer Type	Small Holder Farmers
Farm Name	15 producers
Processing	Washed
Processing Description	40-50hr fermentation, parabolic drying beds
Growing Altitude	1600m - 1900m

Harvest Season	2025/26
Bag Weight	70 KG BAG
Bag Type	Grain Pro / Ecotact
Plant Species	Arabica
Variety	Castillo, Caturra, Colombia

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.