Description
Villa Mary Estate
Located in the municipality of Algeciras, Huila, Villa Mary has been home to Don Eben and his family since 1985, when he decided to acquire it. Initially, the farm was dedicated to growing passion fruit, but following the drop in the price of the fruit in the region, Don Eben made the strategic decision to switch to coffee production. This transition took about five years, and by the early 1990s, the farm's three hectares were completely dedicated to coffee, in line with the coffee boom the area was experiencing at the time.
Although Don Eben wasn't born a coffee farmer, he always had a deep connection to agriculture. As a teenager, he worked as a coffee picker, which allowed him to learn about the crop in iconic regions like Tolima and Antioquia. It was there that his passion for coffee was born, and after years of hard work and savings, he was able to fulfill his dream of acquiring his own land and becoming a producer.
Currently, the Villa Mary farm is dedicated entirely to the production of specialty coffee, with traditional varieties such as Colombia and Castillo. However, Don Eben is exploring new frontiers in the coffee world, beginning to cultivate exotic varieties such as Bourbon Rosado, which will bring even greater diversity and quality to his production.
Prosecution
Villa Mary coffee follows a rigorous harvesting and fermentation process to ensure its high quality. The ripe beans are carefully hand-picked and soaked in water to separate the floating beans, which are discarded. The selected beans are placed in bags and left to oxidize for 20 hours.
The beans then undergo dry fermentation, where they rest in vats for another 20 hours, allowing them to develop their unique flavor profile. The final drying process takes place in the sun in canopies for approximately 25 days, until the beans reach the ideal humidity. This meticulous process ensures a coffee with complex and well-developed flavors, reflecting Don Eben's commitment to excellence.
