PHILOCOFFEA 430 COLOMBIA La Mina Caturra

Origin and Background
This coffee comes from Buesaco in Nariño, southwestern Colombia. Located in the Central Range of the Andes Mountains, this region boasts altitudes exceeding 2,000 meters and rich natural ecosystems, making it one of Colombia's premier specialty coffee producing areas.

The "La Mina Farm" introduced here has an average altitude of 2,100 meters. The fertile soil, abundant water resources, and cool year-round climate (temperatures maintained between 15°C and 20°C) provide an excellent growing environment for coffee trees. It is said that the name "La Mina" originated from a mine located within the farm's boundaries.

The pioneer who developed this land was Mr. Franco Lopez. Back in 1985, the dominant industry in the area was still livestock farming, but Mr. Franco firmly believed that "this land is very suitable for growing coffee," and was the first to invest in coffee cultivation. Although he passed away in 2025, the knowledge, experience, and passion he left behind are still deeply rooted in this farm.

Currently, the farm's production and processing operations have been taken over by his grandson, Mr. Jeison Lopez. Jeison respects his grandparents' love and pride for coffee more than anyone, and is determined to inherit this spirit. For this, he resolutely gave up his promising amateur football career and plunged into the world of coffee creation. "I want to protect this farm and make even better coffee." With this conviction, the history of La Mina Farm has officially been passed down to the new generation. In addition to coffee, the farm currently cultivates crops such as cassava, bananas, avocados, grapefruits, and tree tomatoes, closely linking agriculture with the family's livelihood.

At first glance, La Mina Farm might seem like an ordinary family-run micro-farm in the Buesaco hills. However, their pursuit of quality is meticulous. The Lopez family has always insisted on thoroughly selecting and hand-picking only fully ripe coffee cherries, performing uncompromising hand sorting, and demanding extreme precision in every detail of the processing. It is with this persistence that La Mina has gradually grown into a highly acclaimed top farm within Colombia.

The farm has won numerous awards in past Cup of Excellence (COE) competitions, and its quality is also highly recognized internationally. It secured 4th place in 2012 and 6th place in 2017; and in the 2024 "Cup of My Nariño" competition, it stood out from 30 finalists, achieving 13th place. The wisdom passed down through generations, combined with the innovative attempts of the new generation. Valuing these two elements, La Mina Farm continues to steadily progress as a representative producer of Nariño.

Green Bean Batch and Processing Method
This batch of coffee beans is of the Caturra variety and has undergone a Double Anaerobic Honey Process. First, farmers hand-pick only fully ripe cherries. The whole cherries undergo 60 to 80 hours of anaerobic fermentation, followed by manual and density sorting before depulping. Next, the parchment with mucilage is returned to an oxygen-free, dark environment for a second 60-hour fermentation. This double fermentation process brings out a fruity sweetness and complex layers, while also retaining the unique transparency characteristic of Nariño coffee.

We discovered this coffee at a cupping session at Lohas Beans. Many famous Colombian farms' coffees were displayed there, and the representative specifically introduced to us: "This is a farm we are introducing for the first time this year, and it has a very classic, pure beauty." After tasting it ourselves, we found that although it was relatively affordable, it displayed a juicy fruitiness reminiscent of berries, followed by a long-lasting and pleasant sweet aftertaste. The pure deliciousness that perfectly showcased the local terroir and resulted from meticulous cultivation deeply moved us, and we decided to purchase it on the spot.

Roast Level: Medium-Light Roast
As the moisture content of this batch of green beans exceeded 11%, during sample roasting, we tried increasing the charge temperature and intensifying the heat in the first half. However, the resulting acidity was more pronounced than expected. Therefore, for the formal roasting, we adjusted our strategy: slightly lowering the charge temperature and allowing ample time in the Drying Phase. We aimed to utilize the coffee beans' inherent moisture while further enhancing their sweetness and texture. After the first crack, we allowed approximately 70 seconds of Development Time, thereby adding roast-derived sweetness to achieve a more balanced overall flavor.