Alpha - Espresso Blend

ORIGINS- Colombia & Brazil
PRODUCER - Jairo Arcila & Jose Edilvado Goncalves
REGION - Quindio, Huila & Pocos de Calda
ALTITUDE - 900 - 2000 M.A.S.L
VARIETAL - Mixed
PROCESSING METHOD - Washed and Natural

JAIRO ARCILA
Jairo Arcila is a third-generation coffee grower from Quindio, Colombia. He is married to Luz Helena Salazar and they have two children together, Carlos and Felipe Arcila, who are the co-founders of Cofinet.
Jairo’s first job was at Colombia’s second-largest exporter, working as their Mill Manager for over 40 years until his retirement in 2019.
Jairo bought his first coffee farm, Finca La Esmeralda, in 1987 and this is where he planted his first Caturra lot. He was fortunate enough to earn money by producing coffee on his farm in addition to working full time. Using his savings, Jairo slowly managed to purchase five additional farms. After Esmeralda came Villarazo, Mazatlan, Santa Monica, Maracay and then Buenos Aires.
Now, during the harvest period, Jairo can provide
jobs to the locals generating an economic impact in the
community. He received great insight and expertise from his sons’ in the picking, sorting, and processing of his coffees. This insight has empowered Jairo and given him the tools needed to showcase fantastic coffees with amazing profiles from the region.

JOSE EDILVADO GONCALVES
The story of Sítio Barra coffee farm begins with Mr. José's father, who had always worked in coffee plantations with his family. He had a dream of owning his own farm, and with hard work, he gradually acquired his first acres of land. Sadly, he passed away at a young age, leaving his seven children to carry on his legacy. Mr. José and his brothers took over the management of their father's land and continued to expand the farm over time. As the years went by, some brothers pursued other interests, and in 1996, Mr. José left the society with a small portion of his father's land, which now serves as the headquarters of Sítio Barra. He continued to acquire more land and today, with the help of his sons, manages a 176-hectare coffee farm with plans to expand to 200 hectares next year. Each son has a distinct role on the farm. Thiago, the oldest, manages the coffee processing, André takes care of the crops and harvest, and Felipe oversees the processing and administration of the drying patios. Although all three brothers work on the farm, Thiago holds a degree in Law and Felipe in Civil Engineering, both of whom initially wanted to pursue careers outside of coffee farming but ended up returning to the family business.
In 2011, the three brothers started a specialty coffee project, which was initially meant to acquire a pulping machine. After cupping some of their first batches, they were impressed by the excellent results and decided to fully focus on specialty coffee, attracted by the paid differential and better working conditions. Since then, the farm has been dedicated to producing high-quality specialty coffee, and they continue to make new investments every year to improve their potential. The family's future plans include investing in suspended terraces and training courses in tasting and roasting to further enhance their understanding of the quality they produce.

WASHED PROCESS
After the coffee cherries have been picked, the cherries are depulped (skin removed) or demucilaged (skin and pulp removed).
The coffees are typically then held in “fermentation tanks” for 12–72 hours, allowing for a gentle controlled fermentation to cause any remaining pulp to separate from the beans. Fermentation may occur from the moment of harvest until the seeds reach an inhospitable moisture content for them (11% moisture)
The beans are finally dried for up to 15 days on patios, raised beds, or in parabolic dryers until the ideal moisture content is reached.
Typically washed coffees have clean, articulate flavours; caramel or sugary sweetness; a wide spectrum of fruit acidity depending on other factors; capable of bright, crisp notes.

NATURAL PROCESS
The ripe coffee cherries are hand picked and allowed to dry completely around the seed before being husked or hulled off. While historically this hulling was done by hand with a kind of mortar-and-pestle setup, today it’s done by machinery that can be finely calibrated.
While the coffee is drying the sugars are continually fermenting inside the cherry while there is enough moisture to feed the microorganisms. This can take up to 30 days on average.
Due to the long fermentations, natural processed coffees often display fruity or “pulpy” flavours, often described as “boozy” or “winey”; can also have strong nutty and/or chocolate characteristics, and typically has a heavier or syrupy body

Espresso Recipe

Dose 20g in
Yield 30 - 45g out
Brew time 26-32 seconds

While this coffee is roasted specifically for espresso brewing, it works well through a filter or french press and yields a very sweet and chocolatey cup.
If you prefer a more syrupy, short style shot, aim for the lower yield in the longer time.