Colombia, Hector Diaz - Pink Bourbon, Washed

This 100% Pink Bourbon microlot was produced by Héctor Díaz and his family on their five hectare farm, La Armenia. The farm sits at 1,800m above sea level, and is located near the town of Pitalito, in the southwest of Colombia’s state of Huila.

Over time, Héctor took further control of his crop, learning more ways to market his coffee to earn a better income for him and his family. By enrolling in courses and seminars, and traveling throughout Colombia’s growing regions, Héctor has gained a richer understanding of how to better market La Armenia’s crop. One of the key lessons he learned during this time was the importance of introducing rare varieties to his plantation, like Pink Bourbon and the more recently discovered Chilli Bourbon, which provide potential buyers with interesting cup profiles that fetch higher premiums when sold.

La Armenia is mainly comprised of Caturra, a variety that was propagated heavily during the 1970s and 1980s when most local farms were established, and Colombia, which was introduced by Colombia’s Coffee Federation (FNC) in the 1980s, as part of the country’s efforts to reduce the incidence of coffee leaf rust without affecting cup quality. This particular lot is 100% Pink Bourbon, a variety with an intensely floral and complex flavour profile and an elegant acidity, with direct lineage to Ethiopian heirloom varieties.

Most of the region’s producers only grow coffee at their farms, and tend to other vegetables and fruit in parcels of land in nearby state of Caquetá. Towards the end of the coffee harvest, producers like Hector will relocate to complete the harvest of their food crops. Recognising this is exhausting, Pergamino have focused on teaching producers they work with in the region to intercrop fruit and vegetables with coffee, thereby maximising their land and providing year-round sustenance from their primary site.