Colombia - La Yalena - Antioquia Mágico Competition Lot - Washed

This lot is a special lot that came 2nd place in the Antioquia Magico competition that our partners in Colombia, The Coffee Quest, put on to showcase coffee from this region. It's an excellent example of great coffee grown in Antioquia with great growing, harvesting, and processing. 

Elkin Dario Diosa Montoya runs Finca La Yalena based in Caicedo, Antioquia. The farm sits at an altitude of 2100 m above sea level and here he lives with his family and his sister, who helps him with the farm’s accounting. 

Finca La Yalena has a long history. Elkin’s journey with coffee began with his grandfather, working closely with him day by day and saving his money to buy more land in the future. Piece after piece, his farmland grew but the violent guerrillas in the country forced him to move to Medellín to work and wait for better moments. He has been able to go back to what he really wanted to do: being a caficultor. 

Elkin’s workforce lies in his 15 fixed employees, who are paid better and higher than the other farms, according to him. He likes to motivate them, work with them in the coffee fields but also focus on improving the farm’s infrastructure when the harvest is off. They also grow other plantations: oranges, lemons, plátano, yucca just for their own consumption. 

This lot was submitted to the Antioquia Mágico Competition, where it came 2nd in the whole competition - and it stood out for it's bright blackberry and citrus notes - balanced by the great sweetness and juicy qualities! 

For this washed coffee, the fermentation includes 24 hours in cherry and then after the coffee is de-pulped, it ferments for another 180 hours in the water in closed tanks with a valve. Then, it is taken out, washed in long channels and put to the raised beds to dry for an average of 15 days. 

We have trusted the work that The Coffee Quest do in Colombia, as well as Nicaragua for great lots that we otherwise wouldn't have a chance to get access to!