For the month of may, we embark on a journey to uncover a fascinating washed Castillo from La Palma y El Tucan, expertly produced by Faustino Reyes. Learn about the bio-innovation, eco-conscious practices and captivating tasting notes that set this coffee in a class by itself.e.
La Palma y El Tucan: A Model for Sustainable Coffee Production
Permaculture in Coffee Farming
La Palma y El Tucan's coffee trees flourish within a diverse ecosystem of interdependent plant life, a concept developed by founder Felipe Sardi during his Master's in Permaculture. He hypothesized that removing some coffee trees and rotating in complementary crops would maintain harvest levels while enriching the soil. Proving successful, this approach has dramatically altered Cundinamarca's landscape and enriched its farming community through the remarkable Neighbours & Crops project.
The Neighbours & Crops Project
The LPET Neighbours & Crops program empowers and supports local coffee-producing families in Cundinamarca, Colombia by creating a sustainable business model. This innovative approach yields numerous positive effects on the community, such as increased economic stability and environmental improvements, transforming the region's landscape.
The Elite Picker Squad and Their Role
The Elite Picker Squad is a dedicated team at LPET that closely monitors the progress of coffee plants both at their farm and within the N&C program. Their meticulous approach ensures the maximum expression of the coffees harvested and premium prices for the neighboring families, who can then focus on other crops and projects.
The Bio-Innovation Process
This specific coffee originates from Faustino Reyes and is lot 10 of the 2021 season. It undergoes a cutting-edge 'bio-innovation' process in which LPET adheres to organic farming principles, capturing and reproducing microorganisms found on the farm to enhance the coffee's flavor by utilizing their terroir. The coffee cherries are fermented whole for 70 hours in sealed ceramic pots inoculated with local yeasts, then pulped and fermented an additional 24 hours with mucilage in open-air ceramic tanks. The beans are then dried for 27 days on shaded, temperature and humidity-controlled raised beds, followed by 79 hours in a mechanical dryer.
About Seth Taylor
Seth began his journey bagging coffee in a café, eventually winning the 2010 Canadian Barista Championship. His expertise led to judging competitions and training coffee professionals in England and Canada.
His next project was revamping a roaster's program, honing his roasting skills and gaining invaluable knowledge in green coffee buying. This dedication led to his team being crowned Roaster of the Year by Roast Magazine.
Fuelled by his passion and commitment to quality, Seth Taylor ventured into entrepreneurship in 2017, establishing Seth Taylor Coffee—a venture dedicated to sourcing and roasting the finest single-origin coffees available. With a focus on seasonality and single variety lots, Seth Taylor Coffee offers a range of coffees that showcase the uniqueness of each origin.
Seth Taylor's unwavering pursuit of perfection in his coffees ensures that every detail, from selecting exceptional green coffee beans to mastering precise roasting methods, contributes to a superior coffee experience.
Tasting Notes and Profile
N&C Lot 10 presents a well-balanced blend of stone fruit flavors. This coffee showcases the succulent juiciness of nectarines, the ripeness of peaches, and the delightful sweetness of red cherries. Its vibrant acidity impeccably harmonizes with the rich and creamy texture, leaving a lingering sweet finish on the palate.
More Information
Variety: Castillo
Price Forward paid per kilogram: $18.04 USD FOB
Process: Bio-innovation lot 10
Harvest date: May 2021
Fermentation: 70 hours anaerobic whole cherry inoculated fermentation in ceramic tanks, followed 24 hours open-air fermentation in mucilage in traditional ceramic tanks.
Drying time: 27 days in raised beds, followed by 79 hours in a mechanical silo
Drying temperature: 32 °C Max. - 16 °C Min.
Altitude: 1800 masl
Region: Zipacon, Cundinamarca, Colombia
Rainfall: 1300 mm/year
Humidity: 80 %
Conclusion
N&C Lot 10, meticulously crafted by Faustino Reyes and La Palma y El Tucan, exemplifies the boundless potential of sustainable and innovative coffee production. Through the implementation of the Neighbours & Crops program and the pioneering Bio-Innovation process, this Colombian specialty coffee serves as a testament to the profound impact of community empowerment and the unparalleled richness of flavors that can be attained through meticulous cultivation and processing techniques.
