Mel Coffee COLOMBIA Manuel Agudelo Geisha Washed

Manuel Antonio lives here with his wife Nerida and their two children.
His farm was named "La Esperanza," a name given by the previous landowner, but for Manuel, it symbolized "hope for progress" and "the will to achieve all his goals on the farm." Manuel dedicated almost his entire life to coffee.

He recalled helping with coffee-related work from a young age, growing up to become a coffee cherry picker, and later dedicating himself to running a coffee farm. Eventually, he bought his own farm and officially began his coffee production journey. After purchasing the land, he and his family moved into a simple house that had already been built on the farmland.
Before his coffee production stabilized, he also grew beans and corn to make a living. However, investing in coffee production required enormous sacrifices and effort. Starting in 2017, he resolved to produce high-quality coffee on his farm, thus entering the world of specialty coffee.
While one of his motivations for producing specialty coffee was to command a higher price, his primary motivation was to create coffee that achieved the highest standards in both physical properties and flavor. Manuel is proud of his achievements to date and deeply proud of the ideal climate, soil, and water resources available to his farm. He is proud of everything he has accomplished through hard work and dedication.

Manuel's coffee processing begins with carefully selecting fully ripe coffee cherries, which enhances the quality of the final cup.
After harvesting, the cherries are skinned on the same day at the farm's wet processing station and fermented for 36 hours without water in traditional fermentation tanks. Afterward, the coffee beans undergo flotation screening and two washing processes before being sent to the drying area.

The drying area is located in Colombia and is a rooftop terrace called "Casa Elba," equipped with a retractable roof. Drying typically takes 12 to 15 days; however, in cold weather or with frequent rainfall, Manuel uses mechanical dryers to maintain a stable drying temperature between 38°C and 40°C.