Three Marks - Spain 🇪🇸

Mystery Coffee

🇨🇴 Colombia Santa Monica

Farmer: Jairo Arcila
Region: Quindio, Colombia
Variety: Castillo
Processing: Honey + Wine Yeast / Strawberry
Altitude: 1450-1490 masl
Tasting notes: strawberry, mango, vanilla
Harvest: 2022

About the coffee and farm:

This coffee was grown by Jairo Arcila at the farm Santa Mónica. Jairo Arcila is a third generation coffee grower in Quindio, Colombia. Married to Luz Helena Salazar they had two children together: Carlos and Felipe Arcila, the co-founders of Cofinet. Jairo’s first job was at Colombia’s second-largest exporter Racafe as their Mill Manager. And continued to work there for over 40 years until his retirement in 2019.

Jairo bought his first coffee farm, Finca La Esmeralda in 1987, where he planted his first Caturra lot. He was fortunate enough to earn money by producing coffee while also working full time with Racafe. Using his savings Jairo slowly managed to purchase five additional farms. First Villarazo, then Mazatlan, Santa Monica, Maracay and Buenos Aires.

Coffee production was incredibly profitable until 2005, when Jairo noticed a downturn and began converting his farms to grow avocado, banana, plantain, and oranges. With the rise of specialty coffee, Jairo has decided to give growing coffee another chance.

In 2014, Jairo leased his brother’s farm, Finca Castellon to plant gesha trees. Becoming one of two farmers to grow the variety in the region at the time. After the success of his Gesha after the first harvest, Jairo decided to plant more exotic varieties like Pink Bourbon and Tabi at his farm Finca Villarazo. And has recently planted 3000 Java trees.

He has planted native tree species in Santa Monica, Castellon and Bueno Aires, which creates shade, better soil quality and protection for Geshas, Tabis and Javas planted at altitudes below 1500 masl.

Jairo Arcila has been a part of Cofinet from the very beginning. Listening to his sons’ expertise in picking practices, sorting and processing of coffee cherries. He has been able to showcase fantastic coffees with amazing profiles of the region, through alternative processing. He has 50 people working for him during harvest season.

This particular lot was exposed to a dry anaerobic fermentation period of 72 hours with the pulp on. During this fermentation stage strawberry and wine yeast were added. The cherries were then pulped and placed to dry on raised beds with ripe strawberry placed amongst the coffee until the ideal moisture content was achieved.

Tasting notes from the Coffeemind's Flavour Wheel are strawberry, mango and vanilla.

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Variety: Sidra
Processing: Anaerobic Thermal Shock Washed
Altitude: 1700 m.a.s.l.
Tasting notes: meringue, vanilla ice cream, rose
Harvest: 2022