This month, we welcome two returning favorites to the La Cabra line up. 

Both are from Colombia, and are excellent examples of quality in their own right. Both Efren and Daisy grow coffee in fertile soil, undisturbed by the intensive agriculture seen in the traditional coffee growing regions of Colombia. Alongside high altitude, this leads to excellent conditions for producing high quality coffees. 

Many of Colombia’s driven and agile small farmers share a willingness to experiment, to innovate, and create lots that fulfil ever-changing needs in the speciality coffee market.

This is the case for Efren and for Daisy.

Efren has experimented with processing, leading to the wild profile of Las Palmas, while Daisy Acevedo has acquired seeds of the revered Geisha varietal, leading to a delicate and floral cup. We hope you enjoy both this month.

Las Palmas

This lot is pre-fermented in closed tanks, creating a rich and ripe expression with notes of fresh mango. Elfren Echeverry only purchased Las Palmas five years ago, and has since focussed on quality.

Elfren Echeverry’s family have always been involved in coffee. Following on from the family tradition, Elfren acquired Las Palmas three years ago. The farm gets its name from the natural banana palm forest that surrounds the farm, serving as natural shade for the coffee while producing a secondary product that the family can sell. This dedication to biodiversity continues with a large number of Guadua trees, an American species of bamboo. These can be used as building materials, but also help to store water for the dry season, and contribute to native biodiversity. The Echeverry family are committed to preserving biodiversity and native species, as it brings them benefits both in the field and in the quality of their coffee.

Natural Pink Bourbon

Elfren made a decision to pursue quality when purchasing his farm, planting exotic varieties such as Pink Bourbon and Geisha. He also experiments with innovative processes, with several different anaerobic fermentation protocols used on the farm. This lot is a natural Pink Bourbon from Las Palmas, pre-fermented in closed tanks to create a rich and heavy expression of the varietal, with a focus on the sweetness and ripe tropical fruit notes.

Daisy Acevedo

A few years ago, Daisy and her husband Freddy returned from living in Panama with stories of a varietal that was taking the coffee world by storm - Geisha.

This lot from Daisy Acevedo has somewhat of a backstory. Daisy is the daughter of Gustavo Acevedo, who we have purchased coffee from in the past. Gustavo has grown coffee all his life, near the town of La Celia in Risaralda, mainly of lower quality Castillo and Catimor plants. A few years ago, Daisy and her husband Freddy returned from living in Panama with stories of a varietal that was taking the coffee world by storm and making producers in the country good money for their crops - Geisha. On her return to Risaralda, Daisy attempted to get hold of some seeds locally for her father, but without much success. On a return visit to Panama, Daisy and Freddy were able to procure some seeds, but weren’t sure if they were of the correct Geisha varietal. They planted them on Gustavo’s farm outside La Celia, and almost forgot about them.

Washed Geisha

This lot of washed Geisha is our second purchase from Daisy and El Encanto. This plot has been planted with seeds from Gustavo’s Geisha plot in La Celia, and delivers on the same bright and complex lemongrass and jasmine florals, while the crisp citrus in the cup is tighter, cleaner and better balanced than what we experienced in Gustavo’s coffee. We’re grateful to our partners at LaREB for their transparency in enabling our relationship with the Acevedo family, and hope to follow Daisy and Freddy in the coming years.