El Tambo

Country of origin: Colombia, El Tambo region, Cauca

Coffee Varietal: Castillo, Colombia

Harvest Period: March-July 2020

Altitude: 1850-1900 metres above sea level

Coffee Plantation: Various smallholder members of ASMUCAFE from the Ajicito Community.

ASMUCAFE stands for Asociación de Mujeres Agropecuarias de Uribe, an organization of women farmers and landowners in El Tambo, a municipality within Cauca. The women's mission as an association is to improve their families' quality of life through coffee farming and to contribute positively to their community by working together and sharing resources, knowledge, and support. "Our work is determined by our values such as responsibility, honesty, commitment, respect, solidarity, and competitiveness," they say.

Coffee processing system: Washed

The coffee, all of which is of Castillo or Colombia variety, is picked as purple (Castillo) or bright red (Colombia) cherry, and undergoes a somewhat unusual "double" fermentation process, as the women describe it: First, the cherries are left in the loading hoppers for 14 hours, then they are depulped in the afternoons and evening hours and placed into traditional open fermentation tanks for another 10 hours. Then they are washed three to four times before being dried either in parabolic dryers or in the sun for 8–12 days.

Tasting notes: Sweet and savory with rich caramel, chocolate, orange and bright lemon flavors.