Producer: Juan F. Saldarriaga
Growing altitude: 1400-1800masl
Botanical variety: Castillo, Colombia
Process: Washed
Taste notes: Caramel, fudge, red berries, apricot, spices
Hacienda La Claudina is located in Ciudad Bolívar, a traditional Colombian coffee-town, about 100km southwest of Medellín.
Juan Saldarriaga is a young and highly motivated coffee producer who took over his family farms a few years ago.
From its grounds you have a spectacular view overlooking the mountain chain called Los Farallones del Citara, which reach up to a height of 3900m. The ideal combination of altitude, humid and warm winds, alongside with fertile volcano soil ensure the production of great quality coffee.
The farm currently cultivates about 18 hectares of coffee. The varieties are mainly Castillo, but they
have been planting a lot of new plants, namely Tabi, Caturra and Geisha. The harvest takes place between September and December, and unilke some areas in Colombia, only one harvest cycle is done. After cherry selection, the cherries are soaked in water and the floaters removed before they go into production.
When processing large cherry deliveries, they dry ferment everything in tanks, whilst adding fresh cold water and rinsing every 6-8 hours. Normal fermentation time is about 24 hours. For drying they have a roofed facility with beds, a traditional parabolic dryer, and a unique mechanical cold dryer. There is also a traditional mechanical guardiola for more commercial volumes.
Coffee production in Colombia on average is about 11.5 million bags, the third total highest in the world, after Brazil, though highest in terms of the arabica bean. Approximately 2 million people rely on coffee as a livelihood.
Most coffee is grown in the Colombian coffee growing axis region, taking in areas such as Nariño, Cauca, Meta, Huila, Tolima, Quindio, Caldas, Risaralda, Antoquía, Valle, Cundinamarca, Boyaca, Santander & Norte de Santander.