The first in our very limited series, Freak & Unique. This coffee comes with a limited edition framed print by Toucan Tango - screenprint on 350gsm natural uncoated card.
Diego Samuel is in his thirties and was born in Bolivar, Cauca. He has dedicated the last 13 years of his life to growing coffee, and to also gaining a deep understanding and knowledge on the processing and production of high-end specialty coffee that is almost unparalleled in the unique flavour and profiles produced.
As part of a tight knit family Diego works on their farm in Cauca with his wife, two daughters and two brothers. Together they are involved on the pursuit of continual learning and striving to achieve the next level with their processing. They built their own lab on the farm to firstly understand about cupping and roasting so they could then start to curate their own fermentation protocols for them to begin experimenting with. These experiments and novel approach to coffee have allowed to him to soar and exceed, winning several awards since 2015.
As well as being an accomplished cupper, Diego has also achieved the CQI level 2 processing course qualification which allowed him to get an understanding for seeing how cup profiles can be affected by microorganisms, pH and temperature. With his partner Wilton Renso Benitez he is part of Indestec who are at the vanguard of coffee processing.
The Villa Esperanza-Paraiso farm in El Tambo, Cauca sits at 1700 masl and covers 27ha of land and is planted with Castillo, Caturra and Geisha. The farm focuses on technology and the critical and intricate processes that go into producing coffee of this calibre. Fine tuned detail is put into the selection through to the drying processes, which are done in a way that mitigates the changeable climatic conditions, allowing them to replicate coffees of such high standards every season.
This Geisha lot has undergone a detailed and meticulous 9 step process leading to the exquisite results in the cup:
- Picking of ripe coffee cherries (90%) and semi ripe coffee cherries (10%)
- Cherry washed with sterilised water to decrease microbial contamination
- First phase of fermentation in cherry for 60 hours in tanks with pressure relief valve (2 bar) at a temperature of 18 degrees Celsius.
- Coffee is then de-pulped and floated
- Second phase of fermentation is anaerobic for 36 hours at 18 degrees Celsius.
- Thermal shock wash - this phase is though to transfix the secondary flavour development that had occurred in the fermentation
- First: Washed in water at 35 degrees centigrade.
- Second: Washed in water at 12 degrees centigrade.
- Controlled drying for 29 hours, with air recirculation at a temperature of 35 degrees Celsius and a relative humidity of 25%, until reaching a grain humidity between 10% and 11%.
