This microlot was produced by Hernando Díaz and his family, who own the 17 hectare farm La Manuelita, of which seven hectares are planted with coffee. The farm sits at 1,700m above sea level, and is located near the town of Pitalito, in the southwest of Colombia’s state of Huila.

La Manuelita is mainly planted with Caturra, a variety that was propagated heavily during the 1970s and 1980s when most local farms were established, and Colombia, 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.

Most of Pitalito’s producers grow coffee at their primary farms, and tend to other vegetables and fruit in parcels of land in the nearby state of Caquetá. Towards the end of the coffee harvest, producers like Hernando will relocate to complete the harvest of their food crops. Here, Hernando also raises cattle, which he looks after with the same degree of care that he grows coffee.

This lot was selectively hand-harvested, with most labour being provided by Hernando and his family. It was then processed using the washed method at the farm’s ‘micro-beneficio’ (mill).

At the end of each day, cherries were hand-sorted and left to pre-ferment for up to 48 hours. This was done using permeable nylon sacks, which allow for airflow around the coffee cherry, keeping the internal temperature low and stable.

Once bagged, Hernando carefully placed the cherries in a cool, dry place to protect them from the elements, as high temperatures can accelerate fermentation and introduce undesirable flavours. Fermentation times at La Manuelita are not standardised, instead depending on that day’s workflow and the volume of cherry harvested. Pitalito’s cool climate allows farmers like Hernando to collect 1-2 days’ worth of pickings before they need to pulp and wash the cherries, streamlining operations without risking over-fermented flavours in the final cup.

The cherry was then pulped using a small electric pulper and then placed into a fermentation tank for up to 48 hours. Because of the region’s cooler temperatures, producers like Hernando tend to ferment the coffees for longer than usual and will often blend several days’ worth of pickings over a two to three day period. Every day, freshly picked cherry is pulped and added to the mix, which lowers the 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.