PHILOCOFFEA 416 COLOMBIA El Placer Castillo Washed

El Placer is located at an extremely high altitude of 2,100 to 2,150 meters above sea level. The cool climate and excellent natural environment provide ideal conditions for coffee cultivation. Although the farm has a total area of 30 hectares, only about 4 hectares are actually used for coffee cultivation to maintain meticulous management.

The geographical location here is extremely secluded, with no direct vehicle access. It still requires a walk of about 2 hours from the nearest road to reach it. This isolated environment precisely illustrates the harshness and uniqueness of this land.

• Slow Maturation: At high altitudes, coffee cherries mature slowly, accumulating richer sugars and flavors, resulting in a complex and profound taste.

• Stable Sunlight: The farm is situated on a flat high plateau, with uniform and stable sunlight throughout the day, ensuring consistent quality.

The farm owner, Mr. Jesús Antonio, is almost obsessively meticulous about post-processing:

1. Fine Post-Processing: Through strict screening and controlled pulping, impurities are eliminated to achieve the ultimate clean quality.

2. Slow Fermentation and Drying: A significant amount of time is invested in the fermentation and drying process, with the final moisture content precisely controlled at 10% to 11%.

3. Forward Vision: As early as the late 1980s, Mr. Antonio decisively relocated the farm to a higher altitude zone to cope with climate change, laying the foundation for today's high-quality production.

4. Social Contribution: He is also dedicated to community development, supporting the school on the farm to create educational opportunities for local children.

The main varieties grown here include Castillo, Colombia, and Caturra. Each coffee bean perfectly blends with the local terroir, creating rich and complex flavors.

This coffee made a stunning debut at the cupping session. Upon first taste, it displayed complex fruity notes of apple, stone fruit, and citrus, with a refreshing taste. As you savor it, the **syrupy smooth** texture becomes even more captivating.

Roast Level: Light Roast

To preserve this pure fruitiness and texture, we opted for a light roast:

• Roast Adjustment: During the sample roasting phase, initial attempts to increase heat in the early stages to enhance fruity notes resulted in a rather thin flavor. Therefore, we adjusted the heat in the middle stage, balancing acidity and body.

• Final Flavor: It presents a sweet fruit honey-like sensation of apple and apricot; as the temperature cools slightly, it carries hints of citrus fruits.

• Texture Characteristic: Despite being a light roast, it possesses a rich and rounded syrupy mouthfeel, with excellent texture.

This is a cup of coffee that allows you to experience both refreshing juiciness and rich, layered complexity. We invite you to savor the profound coffee culture of Colombia.