Colombia | Leonardo Tunubalá

Regular price $29.00
Unit price
per 

Region: Inzá, Cauca
Altitude: 1,850 metres above sea level
Varietal: Tabi
Process: Washed
Producer: Leonardo Tunubalá and Rosa Alvarado

Lots of fruit-driven sweetness highlighted by notes of redcurrants and a finish layered with dark chocolate and cola. This coffee has a juicy mouthfeel and mellow acidity

Recommended for espresso, pour-over and French Press. 

Origin Story
This 100% Tabi microlot was produced by Leonardo Tunubalá and his wife Rosa Alvarado on their small farm, El Cedro, located near the town of Baja Belén, in the municipality of Inzá in the state of Cauca, Colombia.

Leo's farm is mainly planted with Tabi, a variety known for producing an exceptional cup, though it is susceptible to disease. The high elevation of the farm (1,850 metres above sea level) makes it possible to continue growing this more vulnerable variety, as the cooler temperature mitigates the risk of coffee leaf rust.

At such high elevation, coffee cherries are able to ripen more slowly, allowing a higher concentration of sugars to develop and resulting in a sweet and elegant cup. Léo farms his coffee with traditional techniques, with most of the labour is provided by him and Rosa. Fertilisation occurs around three times a year, usually after manual weeding, and pesticides are rarely used.



Processing
The coffee in this lot were selectively hand-harvested and processed using the washed method at the farm's ‘micro-beneficio’ (mill).

Freshly picked cherries were pulped using a small manual or electric pulper and then placed into a fermentation tank, where the parchment fermented without water. Leo pulped and blended several days’ worth of pickings over a 3-5 day period, lowering the pH level in the tank and – along with the cooler temperatures – allowing for an extended fermentation process. This fermentation process contributes to a vibrant, winey acidity in the coffee’s cup profile. This parchment is 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.