| Claudio Cabrera and his family grow Caturra (it’s our favourite, can you tell?) at a whopping 2000masl. His teeny-tiny farm is on the steep volcanic slopes of Buesaco, Nariño, in the township of Pajajoy. His farm goes by the same name.
It’s an absolute cracker of an espresso coffee and one that the team has collectively frothed over this last month. Our internal QC tasting notes don’t lie, and I quote: honey, pastry, fruit pie, super melted pain au chocolat, candied orange peel, almond butter. balanced. yum.
Volcanic soils are packed full of minerals, and like most good farmers Claudio maintains healthy ground cover, shade trees, and thus preserves the natural richness of the soil type with high amounts of organic matter in the topsoil.
High-altitude Caturra grown on rich, not impoverished, soils can pack a tasty punch. Why? The colder climate and significant diurnal temperature changes mean Caturra cherries are smaller and more concentrated in sugars and amino acids than at lower warmer climates. Nariño has offered us full creamy bodied espressos with the cleanest and classiest of sweetnesses. The gateway to the Andes, it’s also our favourite department to visit. The air is cleaner, the food less fried, and culturally it’s a little more relaxed, living la vida a little less loca. |
