Classic Colombian coffees are incredible and whilst many of the formative "specialty" coffee moments for us centre on African coffees, Colombian coffees frame the progress from interested consumer to coffee professional. The structure and refinement of these kinds of coffees can only really be appreciated after one has tasted hundreds of cups and truly shines in comparative tasting, like cupping, where these elements keep them apart from many coffees.

This Castillo is exactly in this vain and we've been really enjoying it. Mariana produces and exports her coffee through Banexport, a sustainability focussed Colombian exporter who've been operating since 2005. We've enjoyed a tonne of their coffees since then and they've developed a reputation for extremely high quality coffee through those years.

Mariana's farm Finca EL Paraiso, in Inza, delivers the quintessence of what we're after in a coffee from the region. Great acidity and balance with sugary, stone fruit character that shows why the classic Colombian varieties/processing are exactly that, classic.

Grower: Mariana Figuero Dicue

Origin: Finca El Paraiso/Inza/Cauca
Varietal: Castillo