This coffee was grown and processed by Neftalí Castro on his family’s farm, El Diamante (which translates to “the diamond” in Spanish), located near the town and municipality of Cajamarca, in the state of Tolima, Colombia. The 30 hectare property is owned and managed by Neftalí and his sisters, who are the third generation to run the farm.

Neftalí is proactive and ingenious, and always has several projects on the go — whether that’s committing to helping neighbours improve their farms’ infrastructures, or investigating and trialing new coffee varieties on a plot he calls ‘La Locura,’ (which translates to “the madness“) where this particular offering comes from.

This fascinating corner of the property is haphazardly planted with all the varieties grown at El Diamante, and is heavily overgrown with native shade trees. Due to its position on the side of a very steep hill, the trees at ‘La Locura’ are difficult to reach, adding to the sense that coffee here grows on wild and untamed terrain. This lot comes from ‘La Locura,’ and is made up of the medley of varieties that Neftalí has planted there.

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

The freshly picked coffee cherries were pulped using a small manual pulper and then placed into a fermentation tank, where it was fermented for 48-72 hours. Because of the cooler climate in Cajamarca, Neftali was able to blend two to three days’ worth of pickings to extend the coffee’s period of fermentation. Over that time, freshly picked cherry is pulped and added to the mix. This is key, as the fresh mucilage lowers the ferment tank’s pH level and – along with the cooler temperatures – allows for an extended fermentation process. This fermentation process contributes to a vibrant, winey acidity in the coffee’s cup profile. The resulting parchment was then washed using clean water from nearby rivers and streams.