La Granada, Colombia

La Granada is a two-hectare farm, located in the department of Huila in the southern municipality of Acevedo. Here, Carmen Motta Piamba and her husband Gabriel were the first to plant the Pink Bourbón variety, which was not very well known at the time. This particular variety is a natural mutation of the well-known Bourbón variety of Arabica coffee, originally cultivated in Colombia for its excellent flavor profile.

Today, Gabriel Castaño Sr. is colloquially known as Huila’s “godfather” of Pink Bourbón. He has selflessly shared his knowledge and starters with countless of his peers, who have gone on to sell their own Pink Bourbón lots internationally. We are extremely grateful to count him as one of our most sought-after pioneering partner- producers and feel very fortunate to be able to work with this family.

Although Gabriel is getting on in age, and due to his health can no longer drink coffee, he says he wouldn’t trade lives with anyone. Working together with Carmen and their adult children – all independent coffee producers – they currently have 8,000 trees sown, all Pink Bourbón. This microlot was carefully hand-selected for ripeness, a difficult task when the difference between under-ripe and perfect in this fruit can be so nuanced. This coffee was then treated to a prolonged fermentation period which began with the cherry remaining intact for 96 hours, after which it was de-pulped and further fermented for another 96 hours in tanks. The beans were then washed and put out to dry for 15 to 20 days on parabolic dryers.