Colombia Maria Edilma Medina: Sample Coffee Roasters

Colombia
Maria Edilma Medina

Washed process Caturra, Castillo

Flavour: rosehip, red apple, grape jelly

Body: Acidity:

We’re proud to be returning to La Esperanza for a fourth year to share this latest harvest with you.

Finca La Esperanza is owned by Maria Edilma Medina, who moved to the Huila region ten years ago to escape violence and conflict elsewhere in Colombia.

She bought the farm in partnership with Elias and Isaias Lizcano (her father-in-law) and he helps manage the farm and maintain quality.

After studying the PECA education program run by our sourcing partners Caravela, Maria feels better able to manage the farm, and the higher quality crops are earning better prices.

The move from commodity coffee to specialty coffee was a great way to improve her life: the extra money has helped pay some of her debts and also better provide for her family. Before focusing on specialty coffee she says it was difficult to take care of her farm because of a lack of money, but she’s now able to reinvest in improving the quality of her crop.

Across nine hectares they grow 1,600 Caturra and 2,000 Castillo trees, producing around 1,100kg of coffee.

Sourcing and ingredients

100% Caturra, Castillo coffee beans, roasted by us on Gadigal land / Sydney.

Country grade: Unknown ?

Packaging

Bag: ABA Certified home compostable
Label: Recyclable
Valve (on bags larger than 250g): General waste
Coffee ordered online is shipped in a recyclable cardboard box

Brewing this coffee

We recommend brewing this coffee 15–49 days post-roast. If pre-ground, brew as soon as possible. Our advice on storing coffee.

1:3
dose:yield
ratio

To brew on espresso, we recommend using 20g of beans (dose) to get 60g of espresso out (yield), during 24-28 seconds.

g dose

g yield

View the how to brew espresso (single origin) guide.

1:16.7
beans:water
ratio

To brew in infusion/fed brewers (V60, Chemex) use a ratio of 1:16.7 ratio of beans:water.

g beans

g water

View full recipes and videos in our brewguides

1:14.3
beans:water
ratio

To brew in immersion brewers (plunger, AeroPress, Kalita, batch brewer) we recommend using a 1:14.3 ratio of beans:water

g beans

g water

View full recipes and videos in our brewguides

1:12
beans:water
ratio

To brew as cold brew we recommend using a 1:12 ratio of beans:water

g beans

g water

View full recipes and videos in our brewguides

Producer: Maria Edilma Medina
Country: Colombia
Region: Gigante, Huila
Altitude: 1700m above sea level
Varietals: Caturra, Castillo
Process: Washed
Body: Medium
Acidity: Medium
Tasting notes: Rosehip, red apple, grape jelly
Roast style: Omni (filter + espresso)

Varietals

Castillo varietal

Castillo is named after the researcher Jamie Castillo, who helped develop the varietal in 2005 by Cenicafe, Colombia’s coffee research centre

Caturra varietal

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.

The Huila region of Colombia

This region boasts the perfect combination of high quality soil and geography and is quickly becoming one of the largest coffee producing regions in Colombia. One of the best regarded regions for high quality, fruit driven coffee.

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.