Description
Huila, the first coffee-growing region in Colombia
Huila is located in southwestern Colombia. Coffee is grown in 35 of its 37 municipalities, and 74.1% of the rural population depends on coffee farming. With over 146,000 hectares dedicated to coffee cultivation, it is the department with the highest production in the country. Acevedo, the municipality where this farm is located, is part of the coffee-growing network that defines the region's identity.
The altitude, climate, and soils of Huila create conditions that favor slow fruit ripening. This results in coffees with higher sugar concentrations, vibrant acidity, and complex flavor profiles. It's no coincidence that Huila has accumulated more awards in international specialty coffee competitions than any other Colombian department.
Los Rosales Estate and Rosalba Jiménez
Los Rosales has 3 hectares in production at 1,600 meters above sea level. The harvest is concentrated between June and December. The farm started with the Caturra variety, but coffee rust forced the renewal of the coffee plantations. Rosalba Jiménez took this crisis as an opportunity: she introduced Pink Bourbon and Castillo, varieties with a better sensory profile and greater resistance, and redirected the farm towards specialty coffee.
Doña Rosalba has lived her entire life in coffee-growing region. Her parents taught her to cultivate coffee from a young age. About ten years ago, she acquired Los Rosales and has managed it independently ever since. The photo on page 3 of the importer's dossier shows her receiving the Platinum Cup competition trophy—an unusual accolade for a three-hectare farm.
The process at Los Rosales is meticulous and well-defined. Harvesting is selective: only ripe cherries are picked. Before pulping, the beans are submerged in water to remove any that float. This is followed by a 24-hour fermentation in bags, machine pulping, and a second dry fermentation of about 12 hours. Two rinses clean and homogenize the beans. Drying takes place in the shade under canopies for 20 days. This washed process, with additional fermentation steps, adds complexity without compromising the clean cup profile that characterizes the best coffees from Huila.
