Colombia
Nariño
Ezequiel Gómez
La Esperanza
Colombia
Washed
June
Milk Chocolate, Toffee, Lemongrass, Orange
1950 meters
N/A
70 kg w/ GrainPro
SOLD OUT
Second generation producer Ezequiel Gómez acquired La Esperanza in 2019 and is committed to quality organization and management of the farm. Located in the village of Ortega, Nariño, Colombia, just 18 km from the municipality of Buesaco, the 20 hectare property sits at 1950 meters above sea level and borders a tributary water source that provides both irrigation and drinking water. The farm is dedicated to coffee and livestock, including 5 hectares for coffee production, and another 4 hectares of protected forest which includes around 20 native tree species.
La Esperanza has 10,000 coffee trees in the productive stage of their life cycle. 70% of the farm’s trees are Colombia variety, with the other 30% split between Caturra and Castillo. Ezequiel provides different care to each variety he cultivates, including processes like using a fertigation system during the dry season to ensure that his crops stay disease-resistant, and using ethylene traps to reduce coffee borer beetle population on the farm.
Washed processing was used for this lot of Colombia variety coffee. The most mature cherries were chosen for processing before being sorted by flotation. The coffee was then pulped and placed into open tubs with fresh water to ferment for 15–18 hours. After fermentation, the seeds are then washed twice with fresh water to ensure no mucilage remains. Finally, the coffee is dried on the drying patio in full sunlight for 12 days, at which point it reaches the target humidity.
Nariño is one of Colombia’s 32 Departments. It shares a southern border with Ecuador and is home to thousands of smallholder coffee producing families. Colombia’s three ranges of Andean mountains converge in Nariño, presenting ideal altitudes and fertile soil for high grown Arabica production.
Nariño’s particular geography and proximity to coastal and land borders have historically transformed it into a corridor for illicit trade routes, resulting in unwarranted violence against residents of remote mountain farms. Today, thanks to the particularly resilient and fearless spirit of Nariño’s farmers, the small region is a respected nucleus of coffee innovation.
