Colombia Villamaria Natural

Colombia, Caturra, Colombia and Castillo varietal arabica, grown in Villamaría, Caldas at around 1800–2100masl. Carefully picked by smallholder farmers and naturally processed before being dried with Raw Material’s project partners. This is roasted to a medium-light degree.

This coffee has loads of sweetness and a juicy fruit character, with tasting notes of cherry, chocolate and soft tropical fruit.

Villamaría is a municipality in Caldas, close to Manizales, Chinchiná, Neira and Palestina. It’s a beautiful, high-altitude coffee growing area with plenty of water, natural resources and smallholder producers working incredibly hard to create high quality coffee.

Raw Material have invested in the area by creating a central collection point at Finca La Aurora, as well as drying facilities down the mountain in Chinchiná, where the climate is warmer and more stable. That might sound like a small detail, but it makes a huge difference. Better drying means more consistent coffee, better quality and a better return for the producers involved.

In Colombia, many smallholders traditionally process and dry their own coffee before selling it as parchment. That means more work, more cost and more risk sits with the producer. Raw Material’s Villamaría project helps shift some of that burden by improving collection, processing and drying, while creating a clearer route into the speciality market.

The result is a really satisfying Colombian natural: sweet, round, fruity and approachable, but still interesting enough to keep coming back to. Great as filter, and very drinkable as a fruity espresso too.