Colombia Las Estrellas de Urrao

Cupping Notes:

Intense cup flavors, apple, dried plum, orange, and hibiscus tea. With dark berry notes flourish at dark roasts.

Region: Urrao, Antioquia
Variety: Bourbon, Caturra, Typica
Altitude: 1800–2100 masl
Processing: Wet Process (Washed)

Farm Description:

This Urrao micro lot is made up of 10 of the highest scoring coffee from producers in Urrao, Antioquia. The Penderisco river runs through the main valley leading to Urrao, and the growing areas where these coffees are from - San Carlos, Pavón, La Cartagena and Arenales. Most of these farms are marked by steep, red clay slopes that drop precipitously to the creek lined floors below. These farmers are part of an allied producer group in the area who allow us and our local partner to use their cupping lab in order to and evaluate and separate out the highest-scoring lots. We pay a premium for this level of access, the lion's share of that payment going back directly to the coffee producer. This is a blend of a Caturra and an heirloom referred to locally as "Chiroso", thought to be a natural mutation of Caturra. "Chiroso" has elongated, narrow-shaped cherries/seeds that look an awful lot like Typica, and are fairly easy to pick out of the green based on this canoe-like shape (have a look through your green and you'll see what I mean). Coffee is processed at home and subjected to long fermentation times, due in part to the cold, natural spring water that is used for processing. That helps explain a more fruit-forward cup quality that we tend to see in coffees from Urrao. The valley floor is roughly 1800 meters above sea level, and coffee is planted all the way up to 2100 meters.

Description from Coffee Shrub.