Gabriel Paz Colombia

TART, FULL BODIED, COMPLEX. 

Producer: El Placer Farm
Location: Buesaco, Nariño
Elevation: 2150 meters
Variety: Castillo 
Process: Fully Washed

This lot comes from Gabriel Paz and his wife, Clara Lopez, who are natives of the Buesaco area. Their 4-hectare farm is located within natural conservation areas and includes a small stream.

Gabriel has 35 years of experience working with coffee. He acquired his farm at 27 after working as a laborer. Starting with 500 trees, Gabriel and Clara have expanded their farm with the help of their three children. To manage the terrain they use a cable basket to transport fertilizers and processed coffee.

Gabriel is dedicated to specialty coffee and takes great care in gently drying his coffee under a plastic roof. The farm's high altitude of 2150 meters above sea level results in colder temperatures which allows Gabriel to reduce shade trees and extend cherry fermentation over several days.

Gabriel follows a consistent processing schedule. Throughout the week, he and his family pick cherries and allow them to begin initial fermentation in the cool temperatures. On Saturdays, Gabriel de-pulps the coffee and uses a screen to ensure only ripe cherries are processed, and then ferments the coffee in an open cement tank over the weekend. On Mondays, he washes the coffee in ceramic channels and moves it to his covered patio, where it dries for 10-20 days depending on weather.