COLOMBIA CAUCA | August 2024
This Bean of the Month comes with a tale as sweet as the coffee.
The tale started when two Brisbane guys, Cristian and Taaj, met at The University of Queensland while studying engineering and bonded over their love of great coffee. They dreamed of bringing coffee from Cristian's home in Cauca, Colombia, to Brisbane.
It was a fun pipe dream until an opportunity actually presented itself. A block of land near Cristian's family home came up for sale. It was overgrown and neglected, but the plot was beautiful - acres of hillside rolling down to a fresh stream. Cauca is coffee country, and this land was ideal.
Since the purchase of their coffee farm, Villa Aroma, it has taken four years for the venture to bear fruit – literally – and we’re very excited to partner with Taaj and Cristian to showcase their first-ever harvest.
TASTING NOTES & CUPPING PROFILE
Flavours: tropical fruit, milk chocolate, orange
Aromas: coffee blossom, malt & cinnamon
Acidity: bright citrus
Body: medium
Aftertaste: orange
Cupping Score: 85 /100.
Colombia Cauca is a classic washed coffee with clean notes of tropical fruit, milk chocolate and orange. The coffee blossom aromatic adds a floral element, while malt and cinnamon contribute some depth and spice. The acidity is bright and citric, carried in a medium body. A well-balanced, crisp cup, great for espresso coffees with or without milk.
COFFEE ORIGIN
Country: Colombia
Region: Cauca
Producer: GM Coffee
Estate: Villa Aroma
Varietals: Castillo
Process: Washed
A few years ago, Villa Aroma was overgrown and abandoned after crisis and conflict had led farmers to leave the area. In 2020, Cristian Campo Figueroa’s dad Arnoldo heard that this land had come onto the market. The family and friends came together to purchase the property, and after much work clearing and preparing the land, they planted it with a mix of Castillo, Caturra, Ceniface 1, Pink Bourbon, and Geisha coffee trees.
An experienced coffee farmer moved to be an on-site manager, and the progress of the property was closely observed by the National Federation of Coffee Growers of Colombia, who audited the farm regularly to ensure the coffee was being grown to the highest standards.
Four years later, this Colombia Cauca Bean of the Month is the first harvest for Villa Aroma! Cristian has been hands-on during the harvest and processing, making sure everything goes perfectly.
BREW GUIDE
When we sat down to meet with Taaj and Cristian, we had to take the opportunity to ask the owners how best to enjoy their coffee. For Taaj it’s an espresso or long black, while Cristian goes for the iced long black to beat the heat and humidity.
Colombian coffee is great through an espresso machine and we recommend starting with a simple recipe of a 20g dose, 45g yield, in around 26 seconds for your espresso shot.
The citric acidity means the flavours can cut through milk well, so don’t worry if your tastes are more on the flat white side. Milk chocolate, tropical fruit and orange are also lovely through a filter if you choose the lighter roast.
We hope you enjoy our August Bean of the Month.