Colombia Los Nogales - Rare/Exclusive Filter

Colombia Los Nogales - Rare/Exclusive Filter

This is on of the first two coffees that we have brought in from Cata Export, very excited to have another Typica variety in the roastery, this wonderful and small lot (30kg) comes from Oscar Hernandez and his farm Los Nogales which is in the Huila region of Colombia.

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• Producers + Mill:

From the fertile land that welcomed the coffee seed, between the majestic and green mountains of the largest corregimiento in Colombia, Brussels, is the "Los Nogales" farm, located in the village of El Diamante. The hospitality of the peasant, the fresh air, the rough mountain embraced by the thick clouds comprise a territory that keeps the history of the Hernández family among its coffee plantations. Five generations of a family that in its roots planted love for the land, coffee and transmitted it to this day.

Approximately 80 years ago, when the district of Brussels was just being formed, Ricardo Hernández and Concepción Castillo arrived from Nariño, to some fertile wastelands, grateful to those who would be their protectors and would mark a precedent in the history of coffee. Upon finding this paradise they decided to form their family and from the fruit of love 8 children were born, who dedicated their lives to the countryside. Among those eight brothers, one stood out leading the family to be remembered forever in the world of coffee.

Ricaurte always wanted to promote the field from other perspectives, giving added value to specialty coffee, promoting new ways of treating the soil, seeking new ways to market and do business, a passion that he passed on to his children who would inherit this great responsibility.

The imposing and green mountains welcome in their fertile land the seed that has given Colombia recognition as a diverse, cultural country and producer of the best coffee in the world.

Among the crops of the Los Nogales farm, a great variety of coffee plantations stand out, among them: Geisha, Caturra, Colombia, Cenicafe, yellow and pink Bourbon, Tabi, Java, Bourbon and Typica.

The Hernández family protects the plant as one more member of their house, giving it the care and attention to ensure that, through science, work and love, they obtain the result that has given them success today.

Its process begins with the selection of an excellent seed to give it a balanced and natural diet, based on organic matter and microbiology that will allow the coffee to obtain the desired sensory characteristics.What we want is to transform the organic matter that we have on the farm, making organic fertilisers to achieve good fertilisation of each coffee plant and in the end, it will give a quality grain. “Oscar Hernández indicated.

There are more than 30 collectors who are part of this work team, more than 30 families that benefit from these crops, each of them trained before the harvest to collect ripe fruits and correctly select the result. The harvested grains are transported in fruit baskets that allow the grain to be kept fresh, not allowing it to be mistreated or have any damage at the time of reaching the mill.

“The Los Nogales farm, under the leadership of some enterprising brothers, gives a new perspective to the world of the countryside, adding innovation, science and technology, worrying about preserving the environment and carrying out responsible techniques on the soil. Also strengthening what the family means in the countryside, strengthening a social fabric in his community and always bearing the name of his father as a tribute to the legacy he left to the world of coffee”. - Oscar Hernandez. 

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• Variety:

Typica (also Tipica) forms the genetic backbone of much of specialty coffee today. The first coffee plantations grown in America and Asia were of the Typica variety and many of the most widely cultivated C. arabica crops today are descended directly from the plant.

In general, Typica is very similar in appearance to the Bourbon plant (of which it is a very close relative) although it has fewer secondary branches and the leaves are normally smaller than those of Bourbon. It is usually identifiable by its bronze leaf tips. The plants are tall (3.5 – 4m) and the berries have an elongated, oval shape.

Even though Typica has a relatively low yield it is known to produce coffee with high cup quality. It is, however, very susceptible to diseases and is becoming increasingly less common for this reason. (Info source: Mercanta)

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• Process:

1.When the coffee arrives at the mill, the pulping, washing and floating are carried out, for this a drinking water treatment plant is implemented where it guarantees a microbiological and physical-chemical treatment, guaranteeing that the hardness of the water and the PH are optimal for fermentation.

In addition, a separation system is carried out by floats, by means of tanks where the coffee collected in water is deposited, removing impurities such as earth, leaves and sticks and additionally the grains that float is removed, thus leaving the highest quality coffee, which continues the process that is manual separation by hand.

2.After the disinfection of the grain, a lactic fermentation is carried out, with a lactobacillus called the RN21 strain for this particular coffee, with approximately 190 hours of fermentation, for greater control it is carried in bins of 200 lts each, which allows the regulation of temperature and greater homogeneity in the fermentation process.

3. Then the coffee is taken to the washing process by means of an eco-washer, which allows them to use the least amount of water possible, and remove the honey that is the product of fermentation. The residues are reused to turn them into fertilisers and commit to caring for the environment.

4. The coffee will then begin drying in mechanical driers for 64 hours in a temperature not higher than 35c, stirring twice a day for an even drying process. 

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• Region: Pitalito, Huila

• Producer: Oscar Hernandez

• Farm: Los Nogales

• Importer: Cata Export

• Price (green ex Shipping): £22.70 pkg

• Variety: Typica

• Process: Lactic Thermal Shock Washed

• Altitude:  1870-2000 masl

• Amount Bought: 35kg

• Tasting: Juicy, Super Sweet, vibrant, full body

• Flavours like: Foam Bananas, Mango, Pink grapefruit, Cocoa nibs.