Colombia Carlos Guamango Villaquiran

COUNTRY: Colombia
REGION: Pitalito, Huila
FARM: Finca El Recuerdo
VARIETY: Pink Bourbon, Tabi
PROCESS: Washed
ELEVATION: 1800 M
CUPPING NOTES: Peach, Apple, Cinnamon

      Carlos is originally from a small town in Cauca and made his way over to Huila at age 16 looking for better opportunities.  He found work harvesting coffee, where the poor wages forced him to migrate further east to the remote region of Caqueta. There he landed better-paying work in the agriculture industry but was surrounded by a violent war raging between the guerillas and paramilitaries.  After a couple of exciting but tumultuous years, he returned to Huila to renew his national identification and was presented with a fork in the road - the option to join the military or settle down on a farm.  Having long been drawn to rural life, he opted to skip the military and get on with his lifelong dream of having a coffee farm of his own.  Carlos bought three hectares of land in 2007 and named it “El Recuerdo” (The Memory) to remind him of the long journey from Cauca to Caqueta, before finding his new home in Huila.
     From humble beginnings, Carlos went on to submit coffee to the Cup of Excellence in 2013 where he placed 9th.  Carlos, along with his wife Patricia, have continued to experiment and improve since then and it really shows in the coffees they produce.  They selectively handpick ripe, red cherry and process it on their own farm. They let the picked cherries ferment lightly for 24 hours before pulping it. Once pulped, coffee is fermented in tanks for 36 hours before washing parchment in clean water. They lay parchment to sundry, raking it frequently to ensure even drying. It takes approximately 15 days for parchment to dry.  They also focus on growing prized and highly sought after varieties like the two that comprise this lot - Pink Bourbon and Tabi.
     As soon as we cupped this one, we knew we had to bring it in, it simply blew us away.  This coffee is pleasantly sweet and citric while remaining balanced in all aspects.  Each time we went back and tasted it as the coffee cooled, it presented us with more unique and delicious flavors.  We know that if you are a fan of the amazing micro lots southern Colombia is capable of producing that you too will be blown away by this coffee.  This one is not to be missed!