Colombia Maracay Natural - Filter

Colombia Maracay Natural - Filter

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• Producers + Mill:

Luz Helena grew up in Armenia and has been producing coffee for the last 20 years. She owns Maracay, an 8-hectare farm located at 1450 m.a.s.l, in Armenia Quindio. Luz is Carlos and Felipe’s mother, and wife of Jairo Arcila.

Luz’s passion for coffee was inspired by her husband’s work on coffee farms and as a dry mill manager. Luz would hear Jairo talking about coffee and wanted to be more involved in the industry. With the support of Jairo, Luz started learning how to care for coffee plants and what steps she needed to take to produce high-quality, ripe cherries. Luz found dealing with insects very challenging at the start and would draw on Jairo’s knowledge to help with this.

For several years now, her focus has been on producing Specialty Coffee. With the support of Cofinet, Luz has been able to improve farm practices and focus on producing the best cherries she can. Once ripe, the cherries are then processed by Cofinet at our processing station, La Pradera.

When Luz is not tenting to her coffee trees, she enjoys spending time with her friends and being part of local support groups for vulnerable people.

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• Variety: 

The Castillo variety, developed by Colombia's Federación Nacional de Cafeteros (FNC) through its research centre, Cenicafé, was officially released in 2005. This variety was specifically designed to address two major challenges faced by coffee farmers: low productivity and susceptibility to coffee leaf rust (Hemileia vastatrix), a devastating fungal disease that has caused significant losses in coffee crops globally.

Developed from a genetic cross between the Timor Hybrid (known for its disease resistance) and Caturra (valued for its compact size and stand out cup profile), Castillo combines the best traits of both varieties. It offers robust resistance to coffee leaf rust and delivers higher yields compared to traditional varieties like Caturra. Castillo is also adaptable to a range of altitudes, typically thriving between 1,200 and 1800 m.a.s.l. making it a versatile choice for Colombian coffee growers.

In terms of flavour, Castillo is well known for its well-balanced profile, featuring notes of citrus, red fruits, and caramel, often accompanied by bright acidity and a smooth, medium body.

The introduction of Castillo has had a transformative impact on coffee farming in Colombia. Its higher yields and disease resistance have enabled farmers to achieve greater productivity stability, reducing their reliance on synthetic fertilizers and improving the sustainability of their operations. This has been particularly crucial for smallholder farmers, who are often the most vulnerable to economic and environmental shocks.

Today, Castillo is widely cultivated across Colombia. Its success underscores the importance of continued investment in agricultural research and development to ensure the resilience and sustainability of the global coffee industry.

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• Process:

Luz Helena, and the team of pickers selectively harvest only the ripest cherries. The cherries are then transported to Maracay sorting area, where the team meticulously hand-sorts and float them to eliminate any low-density, underripe, or defective beans. Then, the cherries are transported to our processing center, La Pradera, in Grainpro bags or suitable containers to preserve their freshness.

Upon arrival, we continue with our rigorous quality protocols. The cherries are placed in water tanks to float them, removing any low-density beans and external material. The water used in this stage is recycled for more baches that require floating.

Once this water is no longer suitable to be used for floating, it is filtered through a series of specialized tanks before being irrigated into vetiver grass beds and is released as oxygen. This natural filtration process purifies the water, ensuring no contaminated water is discharged from our processing center and maintaining an environmentally sustainable operation.

After floating, the cherries undergo a meticulous hand-sorting stage. Here, we eliminate any unripe, overripe, or faulty cherries to ensure only the best cherries move forward in the process. For this lot, cherries are exposed to 45-hour aerobic fermentation. This method highlights the intrinsic flavors of the coffee, resulting in a cup that is rich, complex, and deeply connected to its origin.

Afterwards, cherries are spread out on raised beds when they are exotic varieties or in our elbas drying station for bigger lots. The cherries are carefully monitored and turned regularly to ensure uniform drying and to prevent over-fermentation or mold.

The drying process continues until the cherries reach an ideal moisture content of  9.5%-11% which is the perfect point for us.

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Region: Armenia, Quindio

Producer: Luz Helena Salazar

Farm: Maracay

Importer: Cofinet

Price (green ex Shipping): £13.50 p kg

Variety: Castillo

Process: Anaerobic Natural

Altitude: 1400-1450masl

Amount Bought 70kg

Tasting: Fruity, Tropical, High sweetness, Juicy

Flavours like: Blackberry, Fig rolls, Cherries