Shade 7

Seventh heaven? We've said it before and we'll say it again. Altura Coffee Co regularly blow us away with the coffees they send us, our personal favourite was back in July 2021, with a great example of just how delightfully surprising Colombia can be.

This time Altura Coffee Co are back with another Colombian, a mix of rare varieties and common Colombian cultivars, processed together with the cherry intact as a anaerobic fermentation.

Words by Sucafina:

This Anaerobic Natural was produced by Ferney Plazas on his farm, Finca Bellavista, in Huila. Ferney Plazas is a fourth-generation coffee producer who’s been cultivating coffee for 20+ years. His 2 daughters are also interested in coffee and plan to be involved in sustainable coffee production on Finca Bellavista.

The farm is located in Suaza, Huila at 1,500 meters above sea level. Ferney and his family have invested heavily in infrastructure and in training laborers to select only ripe, red cherry. They seek to improve coffee quality each year with an eye towards specialty production.

In 2018, they built a quality laboratory to roast and cup their coffees on-site. With this lab, they are better able to analyze the quality of their coffees and hone their cultivation and processing methods.Cherry is selectively handpicked and processed on the farm. Ripe, red cherry is fermented for 72 hours in plastic bags. Following fermentation, cherry is laid on marquesinas to sundry. Cherry is raked frequently to ensure even drying. 

Colombia has been producing and exporting coffee renowned for their full body, bright acidity and rich aftertaste, since the early 19th century.

Colombia boasts a wide range of climates and geographic conditions that, in turn, produce their own unique flavors in coffee. This also means that harvest times can vary quite a bit. In fact, between all its different regions, Colombia produces fresh crop nearly all year round.

The increasing focus on the specialty industry is changing the way traders and farmers do business. It is becoming more common for farmers to isolate the highest quality beans in their lots to market separately. These higher-quality lots are often sold under specific brands or stories.

Besides its wide variety of cup profiles, Colombia has quickly expanded its certification options over the past 10 years. The most common certifications available are Fairtrade, Rainforest Alliance, UTZ and Organic.

FARM: Finca Bellavista

VARIETAL: Castillo, Colombia, Geisha, Laurina, Pink Bourbon, Yellow Bourbon

PROCESSING: Anaerobic Natural

ALTITUDE: 1,500 meter above sea level

SUBREGION/TOWN: Suaza

REGION: Huila

FARM SIZE: 19 hectares

Image credit: Sucafina