Tasting Notes: Orange, Dense, Sugar

Variety: Castillo

Processing: Washed

Origin: Huila, Colombia

Producers: Ferney Macias

Altitude: 1800m

Cup Score (Importer): 87

Farm Size: 33 Hectares

El Progreso is a wonderful washed coffee from Huila that delivers big on the flavor front! Ferney Macias owns and manages El Progreso with his brothers - and their farm borders his mother's coffee operation, so it's a multi-generational family business. Ferney is an active member of Huila's largest cooperative - Coocentral - that provides him a place to cup and evaluate his coffees with fellow growers, as well as access to coffee production and educational materials. Coocentral also provides things like crop insurance, life insurance, and infrastructure support to farmers in Huila so that the coffee trade there can continue to grow. For the long-time members, this is a different producer than our previous lot of El Progreso - it's a relatively common farm name among specialty producers who are continually focused on 'the progress' they can make with new methods and varietals.

Speaking of progress, Ferney took some steps to ensure this coffee stands out from the crowd. Ferney added some bakers yeast to this lot during the washing process and did fermentation anaerobically (a technique he has been experimenting with through Coocentral) which has produced some really unique flavors! We're getting a distinct mandarin orange taste, with a strong sweetness and really full body. It's what we imagine would happen if you took a specialty coffee from Huila and condensed it somehow, making its flavors more intense and bold. A brew of El Progreso is a great change of pace, and a perfect example of the world of flavors that unique processing methods can unlock. We're digging it this week - and excited for the future with producers like Ferney leading the way. Grab your favorite mug, and enjoy!