China Alta Field Blend
This lot is a blend of coffees from small producers in the town of China Alta, not too far from Ibagué, Tolima's capitol city. It was purchased through a local coffee association in China Alta where farmers are paid premiums for their coffees based on quality, rather than receive a flat price. A percentage of the profits is also returned to association members in the form of agronomical and business support. The coffees in China Alta are grown between 1850 and 1950 meters above sea level and the cultivars typically grown are Caturra and Variedad Colombia. Some of the farmers are mixing batches from up to a few days in the fermentation tanks, changing the water with each days addition in order to keep the coffee from over fermenting.
Coffee from Tolima has historically been very difficult to access due to the region’s isolation and instability. For many years, this part of Colombia was under the control of the notorious rebel group, the FARC, resulting in an unsafe and violent environment. Since 2012, safe access to this region has been possible due to peace talks between the Colombian government and the rebels. As a result, some stunning coffees from small producers have become accessible to the international market.
One of these stunning coffees is this one. When brewed using the pour-over method with water at 92 °C, it expresses an apple and cherry flavor profile. As it cools down to around 80 °C, a guava flavor emerges, accompanied by a silky mouthfeel reminiscent of raw sugar.
Location: China Alta, Ibagué, Tolima
By eight smallholder producers: Aldemar Quimbayo, Alfredo Conde, Benedicto Puentes, Brayan Marin, Claudia Olaya, Geraldine Buitrago, German Sanchez , Hilmer Conde
Altitude: 1800-2000 meters
Variety: Caturra, Colombia, Typica
Arrive Date: March, 2024
Process: Washed
About the farm: The farms that contributed to this lot are very small – on average just 3 hectares in size – and are located between 1800-2000m above sea level, in the steep, rugged hills that surround Tolima’s capital city, Ibagué. The region of China Alta is named for the Rio La China, a small and beautiful river that curvese through the mountains and eventually feeds into Rio Magdelena, Colombia’s principal river. Coffee farms sit alongside Rio La China, and the water is used to irrigate and process the coffee. Alta refers to the higher elevation areas of this area, where the sweetest and most refined coffees are grown and harvested.
