Los Nogales Origins, Filter - Colombia

Los Nogales Farm is a family business led by the charismatic Oscar Hernandez. 

Oscar is a third-generation farmer who grows coffee in the south of the county of Huila, near the town of Bruselas. He is an energetic person, always positive and innovative. His father, Ricaurte Hernandez, was the first to prove that the best coffee in all of Colombia comes from Bruselas. In 2006, he won the Colombian Cup of Excellence and, as the locals say, he spread the word. Oscar continues this tradition and thanks to him and his approach, Los Nogales is a hub of innovation and information for all proactive farmers in the area.

The three pillars of the Finca Los Nogales concept are:

1. Terroir – the land gives us life and the coffee plants that grow there. In contrast to intensive agriculture and the conventional approach to fertilization, the entire Los Nogales team thinks about long-term sustainability. It replaces intensive commercial one-component fertilisers with complex organic humus made from its own coffee processing residues.
2. Genetics – At Los Nogales Farm you will find traditional varieties of native Arabica cultivated in Colombia since the 18th century, such as týpica, newer and more resistant varieties such as Castillo or Colombia, but also exotic varieties imported from other countries and continents, such as gesha or Sudan Rume.
3. Science and passion – The world of coffee is constantly changing and the link with scientific knowledge is becoming more and more common, even necessary. Oscar therefore relies on the experience of a biochemist, an agricultural engineer, a microbiologist, an experienced accountant and a very competent manager. They are all passionate about what they do, they stick together and when they have differences of opinion, they see them as an asset.

Hand-picked, ripe cherries ere cleaned with treated water and then sorted. The selected beans are subjected to thermal shock in water at 80°C for 60 seconds, followed by rapid cooling in cold water at 15°C for 3 minutes. This process breaks down the sugars and pasteurizes the beans, which contributes to the final taste of the coffee.

The coffee beans are pulped from their skin and placed in fermentation barrels with the juice from the skins of the coffee cherries known as "mosto". This can enhance the flavour profile and add sweet notes to the coffee. Coffee beans undergo a fermentation process that lasts 120 hours. Finally, the fermented coffee beans are dried in the sun for 15 days. This step is necessary to reduce the moisture content of the beans to a level suitable for long-term storage and to further develop the flavour of the coffee.

• Region: Pitalito - Huila
• Country: Colombia
• Elevation: 1,870 - 2,000 masl
• Variety: Typica
• Process: Washed 120H Thermal Shock with mosto