Colombia

Finca Monteblanco, a family-run farm in Huila at 1,730 m altitude, is managed by Rodrigo Sánchez Valencia and his wife Claudia. On its 14 hectares, they grow the Purple Caturra variety used for this washed coffee. Rodrigo creates a mother culture from microorganisms found in his Purple Caturra cherries, feeding it with panela and blueberry to produce 80 liters of active culture. The first fermentation lasts 190 hours to reach the right Brix and pH levels. Then cherries are picked, transported, and measured for Brix. After cleaning and pulping, the coffee is placed in a 200-liter tank with the culture for a second fermentation lasting 150 hours. Finally, it dries 2-3 days in sunlight and 15-18 days in the shade.