COLUMBIAN FINCA PALMICHAL ESPRESSO

On the quest for distinguished coffee, you simply cannot pass Colombia. Colombia’s quality reputation stems from hard work and excellent terrain. The department of Quindío is nestled west along the highest Andes sierra, the Cordillera Central. Refreshing yet calm winds descend through green valleys, whilst volcano cones rise impressively. This area, as part of the Eje Cafetero (coffee axis), has become famous for its long tradition in coffee cultivation. In the very south of Quindío lies the municipality of Génova.

Atilano Giraldo’s,  Finca Palmichal is settled within this district at an altitude of on average 1,560 meters. He calls a total of 53 ha of coffee trees his own. The finca curls along lush hills next to yucca and green plantain trees. Having worked alongside his father for years, Atilano is now the third generation to cultivate coffee in this area.

Over the years, he has perfected the processes and his knowledge about coffee to create an Arabica full of abundant aromas and prosperous body. Luckily, two rain seasons enable Atilano to harvest his coffee twice a year, which means a steady supply of this splendid yet rare coffee for you.

Carefully created for its resistance to leaf rust, Castillo is a hybrid variety that now makes up high percentage of Colombia’s coffee crops. It is a “dwarfed” tree that can be planted in high density, resulting in generous crop yields. Castillo is known for its smoothness, aroma, and citric acidity. The fruits of the Castillo coffee tree tend to be slightly larger, and the variety has the potential to score high marks in cupping evaluations.

A natural or honey processed coffee requires that the coffee cherry around the bean be flavourful. Washed coffees, however, depend almost 100% on the bean having absorbed enough natural sugars and nutrients during its growing cycle. This means the varietal, soil, weather, ripeness, fermentation, washing, and drying are absolutely key. 

Washed coffees reflect both the science of growing the perfect coffee bean and the fact that farmers are an integral part of crafting the taste of a coffee bean. When looking at washed coffees, it becomes apparent that the country of origin and environmental conditions play a vital role in adding to the flavour. This means that the washed process can highlight the true character of a single origin bean like no other process – and it’s the reason why so many specialty coffees are washed.

Our coffee is hand roasted with precision and care in small batches, focusing on preserving its natural attributes and highlighting each variety’s unique flavour. In roasting, the coffee beans’ unique attributes give us the best they have.

Our process is roasting and then cupping - evaluating the coffee’s acidity, body, flavour, aroma, aftertaste, and natural sweetness. We then adjust our roast profile and repeat until we are excited by the outcome. In this process, a unique roasting curve is developed to suit each individual coffee. The roasting curve allows us to roast the coffee repeatedly in the same way to maintain flavour, quality, and consistency.