Colombia Terra Nova

About Colombia Terra Nova

Arrived end April, new crop, in Grainpro.

Terra Nova is the name of a plot of land within Finca El Mirador, located in San Agustin, Huila, Colombia. Finca El Mirador is owned by Jairo Torres, but the entire operation is a family affair and Andres Torres, one of the sons, runs Terra Nova as his own plot. The overall farm sits at an elevation of approximately 1,650 meters and is 12 hectares in total (about 30 acres), of which 8 to 9 hectares are planted in coffee and the remaining land as reserve and the river/stream running along the mountain side. Of the land devoted to coffee, Andres' Terra Nova lot is approximately 3 hectares with around 5,000 trees of Caturra and 6,000 trees of Castillo. This lot being offered is 100% Caturra. Not surprisingly, Andres puts more effort into the processing of his Caturra trees and when he sends the pickers out, he asks them for extra care and effort with this finer varietal.

When the cherries arrive to the wetmill after a day of picking, Andres will start with a manual removal of any immature beans. Then leaves the quality coffee to ferment in cherry, in tanks, for anywhere from 12 to 14 hours. The next morning, the coffee is de-pulped and dry fermented again for anywhere from 24 to 30 hours, depending on the climate. At the end of the fermentation, the coffee is washed in channels (a relatively uncommon system these days in Colombia, but nonetheless one of the best forms) which actually serves two purposes: remove the mucilage that was loosened during fermentation and at the same time also remove the under ripe, overripe and other defects (such as beans affected by the coffee borer beetle) that will float during the washing process. Good dense beans will sink and be separated out. Upon washing, the coffee is dried in a traditional greenhouse structure, under mesh for approximately 15 days. It's no surprise Andres produces this type of quality, because coffee the same farm, but from his father's lots, placed #9 in the local Huila Magico competition in 2020.

Andres Torres, producer

San Agustin is located in the Andes mountains of western Colombia. It is known for its proximity to the San Agustin Archaeological Park, home to many pre-Colombian remains. In fact, the park contains the largest collection of religious monuments and megalithic sculptures in Latin America and is considered the world's largest necropolis. Even though the sculptures in this area may date from the 1st to 8th century, coffee was not introduced to Colombia until the early 1700's by Jesuit priests.

• Country: Colombia
• Farm: Finca El Mirador
• Individual Plot: Terra Nova lot
• Producer: Andres Torres
• Region: Huila
• Municipality: San Agustin
• Altitude: 1650 meters
• Varietal: 100% Caturra
• Process: Washed
• Harvest Season: September-December

Cup Characteristics: Aromas of brown sugar, clove, black pepper, and caramel. Flavors of dark fruit, lemon, and baked apple. A juicy clean cup with a lively acidity.

Roasting Notes: To showcase the flavor profile we recommend pulling before second crack, but the bean is durable enough to withstand a darker roast if desired.