Description
Finca La Joya
Colombian Coffee
About the farmer
Roberto Herney Muñoz is a relatively young farmer from South Huila. Married and with 2 teenage daughters, his farm Finca La Joya is just 2 hectares in size and sits at an average of 1,797 metres above sea level. Roberto specifically planted atypical varieties such as Pacamara to differentiate himself from their other farms in the region offering traditional qualities with varieties such as Caturra and Colombia.
The Art of Production
Harvest at Finca La Joya is a family operation. Roberto and his wife handle the handpicking, with some help from their daughters in their spare time. Ripe cherries are floated to sort by density and select the highest quality for processing. These cherries are pulped and then fermented for 60 hours, then thoroughly washed in the tank. Drying takes place in a parabolic greenhouse-style dryer for 15-22 days.
The Region
Saladoblanco is famous for its high coffee quality. In 2019, a nun from a Huila community took a roasted bag of coffee from this village to Pope Francis (he described it as “exceptional!”).The broader Huila region is also well known for its coffee quality, as well as being the first historical department in Colombia to begin coffee production.
Farmers in Huila are very quality-conscious. Their crops receive a lot of care and attention and they tend to be the most pioneering when it comes to embracing new processing and farming methods. The most relevant municipalities for coffee in Huila are: Pitalito, Garzón, Gigante, San Agustín, La Plata, Paicol, Acevedo, among others.
Huilan coffee represents 18% of Colombian production. It is always in high demand and is often preferred as a single origin offering for its balance of acidity and sweetness. The Huilan landscape is dominated by volcanos and mountains, providing a rich terroir of high altitude and fertilesoils and offering a wide range of ecosystems where coffee can be grown.
There are producing farms ranging from 1,500 m.a.s.l. up to 2.300 m.a.s.l., conferring great attributes to the cup profile such as bright acidity and characteristic sweet notes.
Dave Hart –
This is the nicest coffee I’ve had so far, this year. As an espresso, the flavour came through in waves – first chocolate, then fruit, then back to chocolate. Made well, it is sweet and as smooth as silk, with a lovely syrupy mouthfeel. Just lovely!
Steve Perrett –
Thanks so much for your kind comments Dave. So pleased you enjoyed it.