Colombia | Espresso

ABOUT THE COOPERATIVE

This coffee comes from the Colombian region of Huila, located in the Magdalena Valley surrounded by the mighty Andean sub-ranges. It`s the origin of numerous Cup of Excellence winning lots and a destination with Denomination of Origin status. Coffee from here known for its unique tasting profile with bright acidity, medium body, sweet and fruity flavor.

This is a complex work of the high altitudes, nitrogen-rich volcanic soil, frequent blossoming periods and climate. The latter include the slight variations between day and night temperatures with the year-round distribution of rainfall. The high level of humidity also creates special conditions for processing and drying.

The Central Cooperative of Coffee Growers of Huila – COOCENTRAL – is a non-profit and social interest associative company. It brings together about 3,128 members in the municipalities of Garzón, Gigante, Agrado, Pital, Tarqui, Suaza and Guadalupe. They started in 1975 with supplying basic servises such as purchasing coffee and saling agro-industrial inputs.

Now Coocentral has turned into the great Coffee Industrial Park with the largest drying mill in the country, separate threshers for industrial needs and micro-lots, warehouses as well as quality laboratory. They provide credit, coffee mechanics and technical services, own a roastery, coffeeshops and a hotel.
In 2007 Coocentral created the social foundation of Fundecafe cooperative to manage resources and seek partnership with government and international institutions as well as to develop different social programms. Among the
latter there are Women Coffee Growers Program or the Coocentral Housing Improvement Program

WASHED PROCESSING

This is one of the usual coffee processes, but with a strict compliance to hygienic standards during harvesting. Freshly picked coffee prepared daily from 2 pm to 9 am. The washing process takes place the next morning. Coffee transferred to a wet mill and cleaned from floaters. The pulp then separated from the bean using the depulpator machine.
Then the beans dried to obtain 12% moisture. From each batch of dried coffee, a sample sent to the quality control department to check the profile of taste and quality of coffee. Beans are stored in the bags for one to two months. Before sending for export, they are cleaned using a huller machine.