Classic: Villa Maria

Variety: Caturra

Processing: Washed

Origin: Huila, Colombia

Producers: Oscar Ferney Olarte

Altitude: 1682m

Huila is one of the most productive departments in Colombia for coffee by volume, and while you would expect that to mean large-scale commodity production, the vast majority of farms in Huila are small, family-owned operations between 1-3 hectares. These Caturra beans were grown on one such farm: Oscar Ferney Olarte's Finca Villa Maria in the Pital municipality. This coffee was wet processed in the traditional Colombian way with a 22-hour fermentation before drying for fifteen days on raised beds. Huila gets a decent amount of rain, so most drying facilities are covered to help regulate moisture content. In addition to raking the coffee to ensure even drying, workers will often adjust the amount of shade and ventilation the cover provides to control the drying process as much as possible. It's a lot of variables to keep track of, but careful attention to the drying process can make or break the final flavors in a coffee.

Villa Maria tastes like a Colombian coffee through and through - which means plenty of hefty flavors to go around. In our cup, we're picking up on nuttiness, a dark chocolate note, and just a little citrus acidity. It reminds us of old school diner coffee in the best way - smooth, rich, no-nonsense flavor that you can depend on. Brew a cup, give it a taste, and let us know what you think!