This honey-processed microlot was produced by Roni Gómez at his 2.5 hectare farm La Pradera, which sits at a staggering elevation of 2,100m above sea level in the town of Aponte, in north-western Nariño, Colombia.

Aponte’s unique micro-climate, with warm winds and year-round cool temperatures, contributes to the success of honey processing in the area. The producers in the region have become expert in this processing method, resulting in clean, sweet and fragrant coffees that are distinct to the town.

At La Pradera, Roni mainly grows the Castillo and Colombia varieties, which were introduced by Colombia’s National Coffee Federation (FNC) in an effort to minimise the incidence of coffee leaf rust and disease. When planted at high elevations and dry-processed carefully, both varieties have great potential for quality, and have become regular high performers in the country’s Cup of Excellence competition.

For this lot, coffee cherries were carefully hand-picked by Roni and local hired help he employs during the peak of the harvest, with several passes needed to ensure only the ripest ones were chosen. These were then pulped at each farm’s wet mill, or ‘micro-beneficio.’ After pulping, coffee was placed on drying beds without being washed, leaving coffee with a layer of mucilage that resembles a glazing of sticky honey (hence the name ‘honey’ processing) for around 30 days. This step ensured fermentation occurred as the coffee dried.

Thanks to Aponte’s cool, windy climate and high altitudes, coffee generally dries more quickly and evenly than in lower parts of Colombia. This leads to more consistency in the coffees produced, and encourages the development of cleaner, more complex flavours in the cup.