Colombia Laureano Chavarro - Caturra, Washed

Tastes Like: pink lady apple, nougat, honey malt

Producer: Laureano Chavarro
Farm: El Diamante
Region: Huila
Municipality: Oporapa
Harvested: October - December
Variety: Caturra
Altitude: 1787 MASL
Process: Washed

Laureano Chavarro has been working in the coffee for over 50 years. He remembers helping his father with various tasks on the farm from a young age, gradually learning about the intricacies of working with coffee. After moving away from his parents' farm, he purchased his own plot of land to start his own coffee production. He now resides at his farm, El Diamante, located in the municipality of Oporapa, with his wife Orfa and their two children. After some time, Laureano decided to venture into producing specialty coffee. His motivation stemmed from the desire to produce higher- quality coffee, command better prices, and gain recognition as one of the top producers in the area. Through producing high-quality coffee, the overall well-being of his family and their economicsituation improved significantly.

Interestingly, one of the most notable changes since making this transition has been in farm management. Previously, Laureano used chemical-based fertilizers and pesticides that were harmful to the environment, but he has since stopped using them. In 2021, he made the decision to introduce Pink Bourbon to his farm due to issues he faced with his Caturra variety as a result of heavy rainfall in Colombia between 2020 and 2022.  For Laureano, his farm is special because he and his family are honest, hardworking people who approach their work with love and a constant search for ways to improve. He takes pride in producing excellent-quality coffee and appreciates the positive feedback he has received.

In terms of the coffee processing, Laureano begin swith selective manual picking of the ripe cherries, which are then transported to the wet mill on the farm. Typically, the cherries are pulped on the s a m e day, but occasionally he allows them to undergo an in-cherry fermentation for approximately 12 hours before pulping them the following morning. The coffee is then fermented with a small amount of water f o ra period ranging between 30 to 50 hours. Next, the coffee is washed and transferred to covered drying patios, where it will take approximately 15 to 30 days to dry and be ready for further processing, depending on the climate.