This coffee was produced by Zulieth Sancho Masabuel on her small farm, Bellavista (which translates to ‘beautiful view’ in Spanish), located near the town of San José, in the municipality of Inzá in Cauca state, Colombia.

Bellavista is just two hectares in size — typical for the region, where farmers grow and process coffee on tiny plots of land. The farm is located at 1,850m above sea level in the steep hills that surround San José. Zulieth is the daughter of coffee producer Luz Mila Masabuel (of El Totumo, a coffee we featured in 2023) and grew up surrounded by coffee trees. Today, Zulieth represents the younger members of the Masabuels, an influential, multi-generational coffee producing family who have played a key role in the San José coffee community for over three decades.

Bellavista is mainly planted with the hybrid Castillo variety, which was introduced by Colombia’s Coffee Federation (FNC) in the 1980s, as part of the country’s efforts to reduce the incidence of coffee leaf rust without affecting cup quality. Like her parents, Zulieth farms her coffee with traditional techniques and most of the labour is provided by her and her family. Fertilisation occurs around three times a year, usually after manual weeding, and pesticides are rarely used.

Like many of the nearby towns, San José has breathtaking views of Colombia’s highest volcano, Nevado del Huila, which sits at the point where the states of Huila, Tolima and Cauca meet. The rich, volcanic soil of the area makes it ideal for agriculture and contributes to the excellent cup quality of coffees grown and processed here. Cool overnight temperatures result in dense beans, which are notable for their sweetness and complexity. Lower temperatures and high rainfall also influence processing techniques, with longer ferment and drying times being necessary.

The coffee in this lot was selectively hand-harvested, with most labour being provided by Zulieth and her family. It was processed using the washed method at the farm’s ‘micro-beneficio’ (mill).

TThe coffee was pulped using a small manual or electric pulper and then placed into a washing tank, where it was fermented without water for around 24 hours (depending on the weather and the farm’s location) and then washed using clean water from nearby rivers and streams.

The coffee was then carefully dried (over 10–18 days) on parabolic beds, which are constructed a bit like a ‘hoop house’ greenhouse, and act to protect the coffee from the rain and prevent condensation dripping back onto the drying beans. The greenhouses are constructed out of plastic sheets and have adjustable walls to help with airflow, and temperature control to ensure the coffee can dry slowly and evenly.