Colombia Cesar Buesaquillo Chiroso Anaerobic Natural

CESAR BUESAQUILLO
Coffee has been part of César Buesaquillo’s life for as long as he can remember. His parents began working as coffee pickers before becoming farm managers, and as a child César would accompany them to the farms where they worked. It was through those early experiences that his connection to coffee- and to the landscape and rhythms of farm life first began.

Around twenty years ago, César’s parents were able to purchase Finca La Esmeralda, giving the family a piece of land of their own. Today, the six-hectare farm is managed by César alongside his wife and son.
La Esmeralda is not simply César’s workplace; it is their family home and the result of generations spent working in coffee.
Perched high above Buenavista, Quindío, La Esmeralda sits at approximately 1,800–1,900 metres above sea level. Coffee grows beneath Guamo, Yarumo and Carbonero shade trees, alongside avocado, banana, plantain and citrus. From the farmhouse and its balcony, the land falls away into an extraordinary view across the mountains of Quindío.
Reaching the farm, however, is not easy. A single narrow dirt road winds steeply into the mountains, becoming particularly difficult during Quindío’s heavy rains. Everything needed on the farm must travel up that road, and every finished lot must eventually make the journey back down. We experienced this firsthand when we visited César and his family in May 2026, after first purchasing his coffee the previous year.
What stayed with us most was César’s outlook. Despite the isolation, unpredictable weather and physical demands of producing coffee at La Esmeralda, he carries an extraordinary sense of optimism. He is proud of his land, deeply curious about coffee and constantly looking for ways to improve.
César grew up around conventional coffee production, but chose to take La Esmeralda in a different direction. Moving into specialty coffee meant reconsidering how the farm was planted, harvested and processed. He began introducing distinctive varieties and developing more controlled processing methods, gradually transforming the potential of the farm.
To drink César’s coffee is to experience the work of an entire family: years of inherited knowledge, a willingness to change, and a remarkable determination to create something exceptional from their home in the mountains.

ANAEROBIC FERMENTED NATURAL
Only the ripest cherries are selected by hand before being floated in makeshift tanks on the balcony of César’s home, removing any underripe or lower-density fruit.

The whole cherries are then sealed inside GrainPro bags with the oxygen removed and fermented. During this time, the fruit gradually changes from a vibrant red to a deep purple hue as sweetness and complexity develop.

After fermentation, the cherries are spread across raised drying beds on the roof of César’s home. Quindío’s weather is highly variable and often rainy, so electric fans are used to maintain airflow and help the coffee dry slowly and evenly. The cherries are then finished in a mechanical silo dryer to reach a stable moisture level.

Once the coffee is ready, César loads it into his Willys Jeep and drives down the steep, winding dirt road from his farm to La Pradera, where it undergoes final quality control and milling.

CHIROSO
Chiroso is one of Colombia’s most intriguing coffee varieties. Recognised by its distinctive elongated fruit, it has become highly sought after for its sweetness, complexity and remarkable cup quality.

On César’s farm in Buenavista, the variety immediately stands out. The Chiroso trees carry large, plump cherries that ripen to a deep red - juicy, heavy and seemingly bursting with sweetness. Their quality begins here, through César’s careful cultivation and patience in allowing each cherry to reach full maturity before it is picked.

Once believed to be a mutation of Caturra, Chiroso is now thought to have genetic links to Ethiopia’s ancient coffee varieties. Its precise origins remain something of a mystery, but in César’s hands it has found an exceptional home in the mountains of Quindío.