Colombia Caturra Purpura Mojito

Finca Monteblanco, situated along the winding mountain roads of Vereda La Tocora in the San Adolfo municipality above Pitalito, is a family farm managed by Rodrigo Sanchez Valencia in the cherished tradition of coffee cultivation passed down from his grandfather. The 14-hectare estate rests atop a hill, with the wet mill and drying facilities positioned at the summit, overlooking sloping coffee fields below.

The micro-lot starts with the creation of a fermentation culture derived from hand-picked purple caturra coffee cherries from the farm. Eighty litres of this culture is separated and combined with sugar, molasses, lemon juice and a mint infusion. This mixture of ingredients enriches the culture with flavour, while the sugar stimulates the fermentation process, resulting in a smoothly complex flavour profile. The mixture is sealed and fermented for 8 days. After this fermentation, the coffee berries are finally added to the fruit mixture and fermentation lasts for a total of 150 hours.

In 2002, Rodrigo participated in a local program aimed at educating children from coffee-producing families in the art of coffee cupping. Prior to this, coffee had never been considered in terms of its cup profile by Rodrigo and his family. By mastering the ability to discern coffee profiles, Rodrigo, along with his father and grandfather, began to link the farming practices they employed to the distinct attributes showcased in the cup.

During this period, Rodrigo also familiarized himself with cupping competitions that evaluated the finest lots from various farms in the region. He observed that certain farms would win one year and then fade from contention, prompting him to investigate how to consistently produce quality coffee. This exploration led him to examine the tree varieties on Monteblanco, uncovering several strains planted by his grandfather in the 1980s, including the Purple Caturra—a variant of Caturra distinguished by its cherries ripening to a deep purple hue. Purple Caturra – vilket är kaffet i denna lott och en variant av Caturra som kännetecknas av att körsbären mognar till en djupt lila nyans.

Rodrigo takes pride in the achievement of consistent quality alongside his wife Claudia Samboni, farm manager Don Gerardo, and the dedicated team working in the fields and mill. Finca Monteblanco produces microlots each harvest that compete globally, while also consistently supplying coffees featured year-round on café menus and retail shelves. Through diligent monitoring, planning, and management at every production stage, all Monteblanco coffees reveal their true potential.