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The second of our latest Colombian micro lots from the growing region of Caldas and the perfect example of a beautifully clean and bright washed coffee this producing country is famous for. Mario Duque’s finca sits just outside Monte Bonito, a small town that borders the slopes of the Cerro Bravo (an imposing volcano whose summit stands at an impressive 3985 metres above sea level) and the more widely renowned department of Tolima. Here, between the canyons of the central mountain range, conditions are perfect for the production of specialty grade Arabica coffee, Finca Guaduales Dos benefits greatly from rich and fertile soils, good regular rainfall and a favourable altitude.

This lot is made up of Caturra and grows amongst an abundance of orange and guanaba trees which provide ample shade and encourage both a diverse ecology and the slow ripening of the coffee cherries. This extra time allows for more complex flavours to develop and has helped create the delicious and characterful cup profile this coffee offers. Mario and his wife Dora process the ripe cherry using their own micro wet mill; they pulp and ferment the coffee in tiled tanks before moving the harvest onto a roof patio where it is dried for 8-15 days. Although rainfall and humidity can prove a challenge when drying, having access to infrastructure on-site gives Mario more control over processing which allows him to focus on quality and removes the limitations, both financially and logistically, associated with having to outsource to a neighbouring producer or larger wet mill.

Upon cupping, this beauty tricked our taste buds into thinking we were sipping back on a standout sparkling, juicy Kenyan. This is testament to Mario and highlights the due care and attention that goes into every step of processing, guaranteeing a high quality cup profile. This lot displays delicious notes of blackcurrant, orange and butter reminding us of marmalade on toast!and is the perfect coffee to fill the void left by our latest Kenyan offering that ran out at the beginning of the month.