This is our selection of the Santa Barbara Estate coffee located in the well-know Antioquia region of south-western Colombia, near the beautiful city of Medellin. We bought this coffee directly from Pedro Miguel Echavarria, whose family has been in the coffee business for over four generations. The family’s beginnings in the coffee business date from the early 20th century when Pedro Miguel's second great grandfather, Don Alejandro Angel, became the first major exporter of Colombian coffee. Pedro Echavarria, husband to one of Don Alejandro’s great granddaughters, ventured into growing coffee (not just exporting it) three decades ago. He built a coffee estate from the bottom up. After much deliberation he ended up deciding for Santa Barbara, a small county encroached into the Andean mountains in the state of Antioquia. Other than its picturesque charm, Santa Barbara offered a land with distinctive and crucial qualities, such as microclimates (do to the combination of altitude with warm air from the Cauca river valley), singular volcanic soils, perfect altitude, and a tradition of excellence in the production of coffee. The Santa Barbara Estate counts with 350 hectares in coffee fields, a size which , according to the family has proven to be perfect size to afford a state of the art beneficio (wet mill) without being too large to sacrifice quality. Mr. Echavarría manages the company with the help of his three sons, Nicolas, Camilo and Pedro Miguel. The Estate employs over 1,000 committed workers. We have been buying from Santa barbara Estate since 2013. We are impressed with their commitment to coffee quality and sustainable agriculture. Our Head Cupper gave this lot a cupping score of 83. Aroma/Flavor: Sweet flowers, vanilla, chocolate and stone fruit, Acidity: citric lemon, bright, lively & transparent. Other: Buttery aftertaste, long pleasant finish. Retains flavor as it cools. Coffee beans were packed at origin in GrainPro bags. It will be shipped in a burlap bag
