Description
The La Primavera farm, on the Pitalito–Mocoa road
La Primavera is a 6-hectare farm located in the upper part of the Bruselas district, on the road connecting Pitalito and Mocoa, in the southern part of the Huila department. Its location defines the coffee: sunny days and cool nights create a microclimate with significant temperature fluctuations that slows the ripening of the cherries and favors the concentration of sugars. This is one of the conditions that explains why Pitalito has established itself as the main specialty coffee-producing region in Colombia, with thousands of small farms working small, well-tended plots.
The farm is planted with approximately 25,000 trees of four different varieties: Castillo, Caturra, Cenicafé 1, and Bourbon Rosado. This diversity allows for the separation of plots by variety, enabling each to be cultivated according to its specific characteristics. The plot offered here is entirely Bourbon Rosado, also known as Pink Bourbon, one of the most sought-after varieties within the Pink Bourbon Huila specialty coffee range due to its aromatic profile and cup performance.
Behind La Primavera is José Óliver Galíndez, a coffee grower with a long tradition and a pioneer in quality standards in the Huila department. He was one of the first coffee tasters in the region to receive training through cupping courses in the United States and has participated as a judge in the Cup of Excellence competition. Today, he is researching agricultural machinery to improve the coffee processing at origin. This technical knowledge allows him to consistently balance production and cup quality.
Pink Bourbon Huila specialty coffee: variety and washed process
Pink Bourbon owes its name to the pinkish hue the cherries acquire as they ripen, a result of a genetic mutation in the synthesis of anthocyanins, the pigments responsible for the color. Despite its name, DNA studies do not directly link it to the Bourbon family; it is considered a variety of Ethiopian origin that found the ideal conditions to flourish on the slopes of Huila. Cultivating it is demanding: it requires meticulous plant maintenance, which is why this specialty Pink Bourbon Huila coffee comes from a plot separate from the other varieties on the farm.
This batch is washed, a process carried out with meticulous control that reflects José Óliver's expertise. The cherries are harvested at their peak ripeness. They are then fermented in the cherry pulp for 12 hours and, after pulping, fermented again in the mucilage. The parchment is washed and rinsed twice before drying. This double fermentation and careful washing protocol aims for a clean cup in which the aromatic character derives directly from three factors: the vineyard's altitude, the Bourbon Rosé variety, and the Brussels microclimate.
