Colombia

Germán Sanchez

The land Germán farms on holds rich tradition. Named Samora by his grandfather, it has been maintained by each generation of their family since. Their coffee has notes of apple, toffee, and berry.

Washed process Caturra
Flavour: apple, toffee, berry
Body:     Acidity:

On the hills of the rural area of China Alta, near the city of Ibague, you’ll find Germán Sanchez tending to his precious coffee trees on his farm. He shares this space with his wife, Miralba Gallego. The land holds a rich tradition, initially acquired by his grandfather, who named it Samora. Later, his father took over and maintained the name. Through hard work, he eventually purchased the farm from his father, preserving the tradition of its original name. This achievement took place around 2011, marking the beginning of his independent operation.

Germán’s connection with coffee started at a young age, helping his father on the farm and learning the nuances of coffee cultivation. The love and passion he holds for coffee trace back to his parents. In 2020, he entered the realm of high-quality coffee production, coinciding with his introduction to Caravela. This shift in perspective prompted him to change coffee varieties, refine his processes, and upgrade the overall infrastructure of the farm.

His primary motivation for getting into specialty coffee has been the improved prices, allowing him to enhance both his crop and quality of life. Recognition for the quality of his coffee has further fueled his motivation. His wife plays a crucial role on the farm, assisting in tasks such as post-processing and accounting.

Proud of his achievements in coffee, Germán sees the effort reflected in his coffee trees and the quality of the beans. This success propels him to continue pushing forward.

In the coffee processing journey, this producer begins with careful and selective picking of ripe coffee cherries, actively avoiding any green ones. These cherries are transported to the wet mill, where they rest in the reception container without water for 12 hours before undergoing pulping. Subsequently, the coffee ferments for 36 hours and undergoes one or two washes. The coffee then moves to a covered drying area until it reaches 45% humidity, concluding the drying process in a mechanical dryer with a controlled temperature of 36°C. Finally, the coffee is stored on the farm for 15 days before making its way to Caravela’s purchasing station in Ibague.

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Ethical, traceable sourcing

This page has all the sourcing information (variety, process, region, story, importer, and more) that our importers share with us, and give us permission to use.

The transparency helps us talk confidently about the quality and background of our product, and it helps you know exactly what you’re buying.


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Coffee page transparency legend
Our coffee philosophy
Our business approach

Fresh harvest coffee

We only source and roast coffee from each country’s latest harvest season (so the green coffee is never older than 1 year from the time of picking, processing and packing). This ensures the sensory qualities are always at their peak and unaffected by excessive ageing.

Roasted for espresso and filter (best enjoyed black)

Roast style: omni. Omni roasts are designed to brew and taste great both as espresso and filter. Our omni single origins generally sit on Agtron values in the ~70-60 value range. So, technically, they are somewhere in the lighter side of the medium spectrum.

Designed for espresso and filter brewing. Best enjoyed black.


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Our Loring Kestrel S35 roaster
Our roasting style and approach

Best brewed within days 15-49 post-roast

The ‘fresh is best’ saying doesn’t apply to coffee (contrary to popular belief). Waiting before opening and brewing your bag of whole coffee beans helps develop peak flavour and acidity.

But heads up: if you buy pre-ground coffee, brew it as soon as possible.


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Our recommended brewing window

Try our custom brewing recipes

Our recipes and ratios are tailored to our coffee sourcing and roasting styles, bringing the best flavour and feel out of each coffee.

For pour over, immersion, and other filter brewing styles, check our brew guides.
For our espresso single origins, we recommend a coffee:yield ratio of 1:3:

  • Dose: 20g ground coffee
  • Yield: 60g espresso
  • Total brew time: ~24-28 seconds

This is just a starting point! We encourage you to experiment, taste, and adjust to find the recipe that you enjoy the most.


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Our espresso brew guide (single origin)
Brewing ratio calculator

Packaging and sustainability
  • Bags: ABA-certified home compostable (AS 5810-2010)
  • Labels: recyclable
  • Valves (only on +250g bags): general waste
  • Box and tape (online orders): recyclable

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Our packaging

Variety

Caturra variety

Caturra is a natural mutation of Bourbon that was originally discovered in Brazil in 1937, considered to be the first naturally occurring mutation ever discovered.

The location

Coffee from Colombia

Colombia is one of the largest coffee producers in the world and benefits greatly from having one of the most unique and complex set of micro-climates of all coffee producing nations.

Farm processes

Washed process

Machines are used to remove the flesh from the coffee cherry before being fermented in water, washed again, and finally sun dried. This process tends to result in more distinct, cleaner flavours.

Coffee delivery: coffee in resealable bag and farm information card

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