Colombia is bisected by the Andes Mountains which split into three parallel cordilleras (mountain ranges) as they run south to north. Coffee grows throughout these mountains from North to South with the addition of Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, an isolated mountain range in the North of the country where a number of indigenous tribes produce Organic and Fair Trade coffees.
The three mountain ranges produce diverse micro-climates basis the North vs. South and East vs. West side of the mountains. The majority of Colombian coffee territory has two harvests; Principal and the Mitaca, which is typically smaller. In the North, principal is in Nov. with the Mitaca in May-June. The South has the opposite of that; Principal in May-June and Mitaca in Nov. scattered across the country in some of the most biologically diverse landscapes in the world.
The producers in Cauca are men and women with passion for their land, usually members of the producer communities, indigenous descendants. In cauca are 94,000 producers, with 84,000 hectares in coffee production.
The average production in Cauca are 20-25 coffee bags per hectare.
This coffee was grown in the Florencia, Cauca region of Colombia. Through persistent dedication to coffee quality, El Potrero produced a spectacular crop of coffee. This coffee was grown at an altitude of 1,900 meters. It was selected among the best of the fully washed coffees this year from Colombia
Welcome to my Table, here in the corner of this cafe. Today we’re sipping the Colombia El Potrero, from Populace Coffee in Bay City, Michigan. Feel free to pull up a chair.
THEDETAILS:
region: Florencia, Cauca, Colombia
farm: El Potrero
producer: smallholder farmers
association: N/A
elevation: 190 meters above sea level
cultivars: Colombia
process: fully washed, patio dried
certifications: standard
BREWINGSPECS:
method: Hario V60
grind: 18, Preciso
coffee: 28 g
water: 450 mL
bloom: 1:00
pour: 2:00 concentric pulse pour
CUPPINGNOTES:
The aroma of the Colombia El Potrero is bright and vibrant, bursting with scents of mixed berries, honey, and soft florals.
Taking my first few sips of the cup immediately post-brew, my palate is graced by a rich, supple, and silky coffee. Up front, this coffee is really beautiful and it’s brimming with flavors of honeysuckle, rose hips, jasmine, red grape, mixed berries, and sweet caramelized sugars.
As the cup cools off, even more fruits come to the forefront and the coffee goes a different direction. Instead of being the winy mixture of fragrant florals and sweet/tart berries that it was up front, it’s become spicy, zesty, and juicy, with flavors of peach, spiced cherry liqueur, and zesty lemon rind.
Medium body; supple mouthfeel; citrus acidity; clean finish.
FINALTHOUGHTS:
Populace Coffee offered up a real treat with this, their Colombia El Potrero.
I’ve really been enjoying these soft and supple fruity/floral coffees lately, and this Colombia from Populace was a very fine example of that profile.
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Andrew is a husband, father, dog lover, craft beverage enthusiast, content creator, and niche market Internet celebrity. Formerly of A Table in the Corner of the Cafe and The Pulitzer Project and contributor to Barista Magazine and Mental Floss, he’s been writing on the Internet for years.