Market Lane (Melbourne)
Colombia - La Esperanza 250g
This coffee tastes like peach and honey with a floral finish.
Origin: Ibagué, Colombia
Varieties: caturra & colombia
Process: washed
Producer: William Buitrago
Relationship Length: since 2019
William Buitrago and Aminta Mahocha Franco farm coffee on an 11-hectare property located near the small town of China Alta, close to where William grew up. The farm sits at a staggering altitude of 1960 metres, on the steep valley walls of the Rio La China, a small and winding river that’s used as a water source to irrigate and process the coffee.
To compensate for the area’s cooler temperatures, William and Aminta have planted their coffees trees further apart than is usual, so they all receive adequate sunlight. Although this reduces their yield, it ensures the coffee will be of a high quality, which is of paramount importance to the couple.
William and Aminta have gifted each of their two children, Mauricio and Geraldina, a plot of land on the farm to manage and profit from; to encourage them to understand the economics of coffee farming, and to potentially see a future in it. Many young people in the region are abandoning coffee production and moving to the city. William hopes that specialty coffee programs in the area will develop and grow, so that high premiums will be an attractive incentive for young people to stay in China Alta and continue to produce coffee.
At harvest time, the coffee is picked when ripe and wash processed at the farm's small mill. The coffee is pulped and fermented over a 2–3 day period. The beans are then washed and laid out on sunny rooftop patios, where they’re raked and shaded as needed to ensure an even, consistent dry.
