Alexander and Lidia started their coffee farm from scratch around 20 years ago. This washed Caturra lot has hints of plum, blackcurrant and malt.

Coffee has always played a significant part in Alexander Vargas’ life—he comes from a coffee-growing family. Around the 2000s, he decided to start producing coffee on his own. He found a piece of land with no more than a few weeds, gave it a good clean and planted the first coffee trees. It’s not common to see young farms built relatively recently from scratch like these.

Finca La Piragua extends through 10 hectares of land, 7 of which produce coffee. The rest are dedicated to pitaya (or dragon fruit), in an effort to diversify the crop. Alexander works together with his wife, Lidia. He takes care of the harvesting, and they both work through the fermentation and drying processes.

Their move into specialty coffee production started around 2006 as a way to add value to their product and find recognition for their hard work. To achieve this, Alexander joined a group called Café Quebradón, where he gained much knowledge and experience that then applied to Finca La Piragua. This learning is always ongoing, and he is currently working on improving his processes and infrastructure to elevate the quality of his beans.

This lot is a Caturra varietal that has grown in a sun-rich plot of land. The fermentation method is a traditional washed process: fermented in water for 24 hours, then dried on raised beds in covered patios.

Certifications: Fairtrade, C.A.F.E. Practices.

All the images and information about this coffee and producers have been kindly shared by its importer, Caravela Coffee, and edited by us, Sample Coffee (unless linked to or credited otherwise).

Green coffee certifications: Fairtrade

All the images and information about this coffee and its producers have been kindly shared by the importer, Caravela, and edited by us, Sample Coffee (unless linked to or credited otherwise).

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