Coffee Profile

Region	Huila
Altitude	1,520-1,650 masl
Variety	Caturra, Typica
Harvest	December-April
Process	Fully washed, sun dried
Aroma	Fruity, sweet
Flavour	Caramel, tart, fruity
Body	Medium
Acidity	Medium, balanced
Cupping Score	83.5

About the coffee

This coffee varietal was developed by the Alcides Carvalho Coffee Center (Centro de Cafe) , Instituto Agronomico of the Sao Paulo State in Brazil. Caturra is a modern natural hybrid of its counterpart the Bourbon Arabica and is becoming increasingly popular with farmers. Caturra has a greater crop yield and is less susceptible to disease than classic Arabicas. In Colombia, Red Caturra represents about 70% of the occupied area with coffee, and in Costa Rica, more than 80%.

Located to the west of the Central cordillera, Suarez has a great variety of landscapes and cultural resources due to the many rivers cutting through the valleys and mountainsides and the diversity this has created. It has a number of goldmines as well as a gastronomical reputation and produces coffee and cane sugar.

The coffee here is picked by the smallholders with their families and neighbours and generally washed and dried on the farm, often at high altitudes on steep slopes, or brought to a nearby beneficiary for processing. It is then brought to the dry mill or cooperative headquarters for cupping, scoring and sorting for export.

Due to the many microclimates, faces of the slopes, and changing weather patterns, there is often fresh coffee cropping throughout the year, though generally this is split across the main and mitaca (or ‘fly’) crops. Global warming has seen a significant change across Colombia, bringing challenges to some areas and opportunities to others. Earthquakes and landslides have featured in the coffee areas, but the commitment to quality there remains high.

About the growers

This varietal Arabica coffee originates just outside the town of Caturra. Based on its' productivity and compact size, this was an was an easy option for the Farmers to plant.

The Andes Mountains run through through the department of Huila, Colombia, which is also home to the Nevado del Huila volcano. The area's resulting mineral-rich soil and microclimates contribute to a celebrated cup profile that's typically juicy, fruity and complex, with a rich, full body.

Supremo refers to the largest size of beans from Colombia — a screen size of 17 or 18, which is slightly larger than the Excelso distinction.

We offer Colombia Supremo Huila as both conventional and Rainforest Alliance (RFA) certified.

Rainforest Alliance Certified

Our RFA Huila comes from a group of small Rainforest Alliance–certified farms — most of which are about 2 hectares in size — located in the department of Huila.

Several purchasing agencies around the area meticulously control each purchase to guarantee traceability and quality. These small farms are planted in mostly Caturra, and processing is of the traditional method. Producers all use manual, hand-cranked depulping machines to remove the cherry from the beans. And they use raised beds for drying the coffee, which creates ideal air circulation and even drying.

In short, these producers oversee the transformation of their coffee cherry to dried parchment, which is a real benefit, allowing the farmer to determine how their coffee is handled, sorted and prepped every step of the way. Their efforts have been rewarded with a Rainforest Alliance Certification, one of the most demanding sustainability seals. The positive impact to the preservation of this regions’ biodiversity is substantial. They work closely with neighboring plantations to raise the awareness of the importance of Organic and Rainforest certifications, which impacts both the workers and the land.