Episode 488 on Monday the 19th of March, 2018. Colombia Finca La Chorrera Washed Caturra

We're now into our sixth year of working this this amazing farm, but the first year's lot was so tiny that it never made it onto the website and was sold as an exclusive to one of our lucky wholesale customers. Luckily, ever since then we've been able to focus a little bit more on the farm: we cupped a lot more pickings and found a little more coffee.

Finca La Chorrera is located near to the city of Pitalito, in the south of the Huila department. It's in the valley of the Rio Grande de la Magdalena, known as 'The Valley of Laboyos', which is 180 km away from Nieva, the capital of Huila. Pitalito is also the second largest city of the department of Huila, at approximately 125,000 inhabitants, and is considered one of the largest areas of coffee production in Colombia.

This farm is located on top of a mountain at 1,735 metres above sea level. It contains 70% Caturra (25,000 plants; this lot comes from them), 20% Colombia F6 (7,000 plants) and 10% Castillo (2,000 plants). The farm consists of eight hectares, six of which are planted with coffee. The other two hectares house the mill and inaccessible mountainous areas. The family house, which is also used for drying, is at the bottom of the hill at around 1,400 metres above sea level.

I took some amazing pictures on my trip in 2013, so take a look here, and I took some more on my trip in 2014 – find them here!

The farm is owned and run by the Claros family: Pedro, his wife Nelcy and their six children (Alberio, Edilson, Sandra, Hermes, Diana and Monica). It's a real family business with everyone pitching into the farm to make it work.

Carlos sent us every day's pickings to cup and we bought everything that scored over 86 points on the cupping table; anything below 86 was sold for commodity. This meant we had to pay a premium for the coffee, but I think it's definitely worth it.

The farm's drying patio is one of the most amazing things I’ve seen. It's a greenhouse built on top of the house so that the coffee can be turned regularly, but also to make sure no one steals it. The latter was not so much of a problem last year with market prices being low, but it was a real problem over the previous three years. Of course, Pedro doesn't have to worry about market prices; he always gets a premium because he consistently gives quality, but black market coffee goes to the highest market bidder.

In the cup expect classic Colombian milk chocolate mixed with blackberry jam, this coffee has a wonderfully smooth body and hints of Granny Smith acidity.

• Country: Colombia
• Department: Huila
• Nearest town: Pitalito
• Farm: Finca La Chorrera
• Owners: Claros family
• Altitude: 1,735 m.a.s.l.
• Farm size: 8 hectares
• Coffee growing area: 6 hectares
• Varietal: Caturra
• Processing: Washed

CUPPING NOTES Milk chocolate, blackberry jam, Granny Smith.

Clean cup: (1–8): 6.5
Sweetness: (1–8): 6.5
Acidity: (1–8): 6
Mouthfeel: (1–8): 7
Flavour: (1–8): 7
Aftertaste: (1–8): 6
Balance: (1–8): 6.5
Overall: (1–8): 6.5
Correction: (+36): +36

Total: (max. 100): 88

Roasting Information
Medium – just up to the cusp of second crack, but not into it.

"Quick Look" Guide
Milk chocolate, blackberry jam, Granny Smith.