El Predregal

Fidencio Castillo started with a farm of 1,500 Caturra and Colombia coffee trees. He has since watched his farm flourish with 20,000 trees, thanks to his family and neighbours' support. His daughters are now following in his footsteps as they pursue their degrees in agronomy and food processing. The family's shared goal is to discover and implement innovative techniques for coffee processing. Located in a low-temperature area (10 to 12 °C), which made locals hesitant to produce coffee in this area, Finca El Pedregal is the first coffee farm in Arboleda. It benefits from a diverse ecosystem of trees that helps preserve the soil and shield the plantation from winds.

This coffee is a blend of Caturra, which is a mutation of Bourbon, and Colombia, which is a hybrid of Caturra and Typica. Both varietals benefit from the volcanic soil and diverse microclimates and altitudes of the Narino region, which bring a wide range of flavours.

Cherries are meticulously sorted before undergoing a floating process, before their first fermentation in sealed bags for 2 whole days. They are then partially mechanically depulped. They are once again placed in bags for another 80 hours of fermentation.

Beans are then dried for 16 to 20 days on raised beds on a concrete patio, until they reach 10 to 11.5% of humidity.

We find this coffee exceptionally sweet and well-balanced with its hints of green apple and sweet almond.