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PINEAPPLE, CRANBERRY, GINGER
This one is very good, very good. The San Bernardo varietal is quite rare, you don’t often see it. I’ve had a few San Bernardo over the last year and I’m impressed every time. There is this balance between tropical, boozy fruit and a lingering rich finish, ginger in this case, in the cup. Absolutely delightful. Amongst my lineup of co ferments etc, I love coffees like this, they stand up should to shoulder without processing wizardry, a fantastic and memorable cup. I sampled this alongside the peach and watermelon co-ferments we have on, I think this was as good a coffee.
Roast wise, light to medium, will brew well across filter and espresso.
Enjoy.
THE COFFEE ITSELF - FROM OUR IMPORTER, COFINET
Javier Rubio is from a traditional coffee farming family in Casanare, Colombia, and has been involved in coffee for as long as he can remember. He owns the farm El Libano which is 9 hectares in size with 7 hectares being assigned to coffee cultivation. El Libano is located in Gaitania, Tolima at 1750 m.a.s.l. Javier mainly grows Caturra, Castillo, and Variedad Colombia, but in 2018 he also started growing Geisha and Tabi. Due to the climate and altitude conditions on his farm, coffee grows quite slowly which leads to sweet and juicy cup profiles. Besides coffee, he also grows plantain and beans.
One of Javier’s earliest memories on the farm is helping his parents to plant seedlings. Javier showed a keen interest in this and other areas around the farm, so his parents involved him in all stages of the harvest. This started Javier’s love for coffee which has seen him working on coffee farms his entire life.
After living in Casanare for most of his youth, Javier moved to Tolima in 1990. After living there for four years, Javier was given the opportunity to buy El Libano. Today, Javier, his son and his daughter-in-law work together to manage all the duties on the farm. During the main harvest, Javier provides jobs for his local community but says that sometimes it can be difficult to find labor. However, his neighbors support each other during this time to pick coffee.
Javier uses organic practices on his farm and is organically certified. As Javier is a very experienced farmer, he has a detailed understanding of how to get the best out of his coffee and how to care for the soil. He is also dedicated to sharing his knowledge and experience with others in his local community to help enhance their farming practices. In the past, Javier has entered his coffee into various coffee competitions. In 2008, his coffee placed third in the Cup of Excellence.
When he has spare time, Javier likes to go to town and meet with friends. He also enjoys shopping from other local food producers and sharing this with his family.