Esteban Pillimue

COLOMBIA
Single Origin | Filter

Cupping Notes: Lemon Candy. Yellow Kiwi. Pineapple Jelly.

Colombia is characterized by its many coffee-producing regions, microclimates, climbing altitudes, and excellent producers. Coffee did not spread in the country until the 19th century, thanks to Jesuit priests who first planted coffee in Colombia the previous century. Today, coffee is grown in 20 of the 35 departments in Colombia and is one of the world’s top producers thanks to its high and year-round yields. Production is dominated by exceptional smallholder producers, growing beautiful coffee throughout the many regions. As one of the most well-known coffee-producing regions in Colombia – Cauca boasts a stable microclimate, ideal for coffee production. The towering Andes mountains, and proximity to the equator allow for these prime coffee-producing conditions. Cauca’s violent past, with a heavy presence of FARC guerrillas, had historically prevented the FNC (Colombia’s excellent national coffee board) and specialtyfocused exporters from establishing a presence in the region. As violence has diminished, it has enabled the growers in the region to seek increased access to markets for quality, not only taking advantage of the region’s wonderful coffee-growing conditions but also the economic resource that nearby tourist destinations bring (for instance, the World Heritage Site “Parque Nacional Arqueológico de Tierradentro”). The municipality of Inzá is located in the corner of the Department of Cauca, bordering Tolima and Huila, and looking out to the west over the Pacific Ocean. Situated on the “Macizo Colombiano” (the Colombian Plateau), which surrounds the high peaks of Tolima and Huila, the region is an important source of water and wildlife, in addition to being prime coffee growing land. It is here where Esteban Pillimue has his farm, Finca Altamira, and the source of this lot. Esteban is a member of the Pillimue family, a prominent group facilitating connections with coffee producers, who work closely with our exporting partner in Colombia, Pergamino. At 59, Esteban is still working hard in the field, diligently growing some excellent coffee. He currently lives with his wife, María Evelia, and they raised four children on the farm, who have already grown up and acquired their own plots of land. Esteban has spent the past 40 years immersed in coffee and decided to leave San Antonio 16 years ago in order to pursue different opportunities in Rio Chiquito.

Today, he has managed his farm for nearly seven years, workinwith his son-in-law Ángel Ariza, to harvest and transport the coffee to San Antonio where it is processed.
During the harvest, the coffee is carefully handpicked when fully ripe at Finca Altamira. The cherries are then delivered to the wet mill in San Antonio, where they are sorted and de-pulped to remove the external fruit. Next, the coffee is fermented for 48 hours to break down the sticky mucilage, then dispersed on raisedbeds and dried under plastic. Once the ideal moisture content is reached, the coffee is delivered to the
Pergamino dry mill in Medellín to be hulled and prepared for export.

Today, Pergamino works with more than 600 smallholder farmers in four Departments (Cauca, Antioquia, Huila and Nariño), and their influence continues to grow. They have developed the relationship with the communities over time, providing invaluable feedback on quality and training in quality assessment. They are committed to transparency in their partnerships with these farmers, ensuring that profit margins are
clear, and that value added by quality goes directly to the producer. In Inzá specifically, Pergamino constructed a bio-fertilizer plant. They work with roughly 80 producers who
are already organic, to assist with creating organic fertilizer to improve the productivity of their farms. With support from international roasters, Pergamino were able to fund this project, and now offer affordable organic options to producers in the area, reducing overall environmental impact and creating a future for coffee production in Inzá.

We are always excited to introduce new and delicious Colombians from our favourite Pedro and Pergamino, fresh from 2024 harvest! From Cauca, Colombia to Singapore, this delicious coffee that you are about to enjoy is only made possible through the story of relationship, coffee and people. This is a coffee that Brew Moments and Inspiring Relationships.

Roast Date: 25 Nov 2024