Rigoberto Cuellar - Colombia

Rigoberto Cuellar is a 33-year-old man from a family of coffee producers in the municipality of Salado Blanco in Huila. He grew up surrounded by crops, accompanying his father to the plantations. At the age of 27, Rigo (as he is known in his town) suffered a great loss that forced him to take over the reins of the farm, following the death of his father. After months of neglect he regained his strength and began to rebuild the farm. Planting other crops alongside the coffee, such as casssava, arracacha, bananas, among others. Rigo also started training in coffee production processes and roasting. 

Today, he grows he pacamara cultivar, surrounded by a shady banana plantation and other native trees such as oak, cedar, and eucalyptus that protect the coffee from the sun's rays. Rigo has implemented organic farming practices. The fertilisation carried out on this farm is based on an organic production management plan. Coffee pulp is one of the main sources of soil fertilization, which is carried out four times a year, while maintenance work, pest control, microorganisms, and diseases are carried out throughout the year.

Once harvested, the ripe fruit is oxidized for about 40 hours before being washed and pulped. Once pulped, the seeds are fermented for an additional 24 to 36 hours before being washed to remove any remaining mucilage and dried slowly over a period of 2 to 3 weeks. The treatment choice results in a buttery texture and rich taste enhanced by fruity notes. The end result presents a clean and bright taste structure, with transparent fruity flavours.

• Region: Salado Blanco, Huila
• Country: Colombia
• Producer: Rigoberto Cuellar
• Elevation: 1,800 masl
• Variety: Pacamara
• Process: Dried in Clean Parchment