The surprising thing about the coffee industry in Colombia is that farmers have managed to produce incredible coffees of global fame on only a single hectare of land.
Such is the case of Wilson Burgos, who filled his farm with coffee trees, relying on the knowledge that was passed down to him from his grandparents and parents and who, like Wilson, dedicated themselves entirely to the production of coffee in Nariño.
Along with his family and the other producers in the Montilón zone, Wilson planted his coffee on the slopes of the mountains from 1800-1920masl. Due to the high altitude and it’s location in Samaniego, a municipality between the Central and Western Andean mountain ranges, the overnight temperature drops drastically.
This allows the coffee cherry to mature more slowly, permitting greater sugar concentrations to develop inside bean, increasing acidity levels and the overall sweetness in the cup.
The farm’s position close to the Pascual, Cristal and San Juan rivers ensures that the humidity levels during the day adequately hydrate the trees, generating a flawless balance that is noted in the big body of the cup.
The harvest begins in May, signalling the arrival of many travelling pickers to Finca La Loma.
The ripe cherries are hand picked before being depulped and fermented for 14 hours in fermentation tanks. The beans are then carefully washed to remove any remaining mucilage. Finally the beans are taken to the patios to be dried in only 8 days under the intense equatorial sun.
This is how the Burgos family has produced speciality coffee for decades, and reflects their passion for their trade, their land and their coffee, from which they are still learning every day.
