People
El Dragón lot is the result of 22 smallholder producers from the Buesaco region, Nariño, with whom The Coffee Quest has been working closely. Thanks to our local presence in the region, we’ve been able to build personal contact with local farmers and support them in achieving improvement and finding opportunities to prosper.
One of the contributing farmers is Luis Vicente Hernandez from Finca Loma Linda. He has been farming since he was six years old, starting out by helping on his family’s farm as a lesson on the hardships of making a living. After completing school, he worked as a day labourer and sold various crops for income. Nine years ago, he began growing coffee plants, alongside which he grows his corn, cassava, beans, and bananas.
“I am very proud that all of my children are interested in continuing my family’s coffee tradition and preserving our legacy.” – Luis Vincente Hernandez
Currently, Luis is still dedicated to his farm work, which he does with passion. He is now also a proud father of three children, all of whom have expressed an interest in following in his footsteps and becoming coffee growers themselves.
The coffee used is mainly of the Caturro, Pink bourbon, Castilla and Colombia varieties, leading to a creamy profile with a distinctly fruity and floral aroma. The Coffee Quest creates groups much like El Dragón with care and strict procedures. To begin, our team in Colombia evaluate the samples delivered to our regional stations and ensures that they meet our requirements (only coffee scoring 85+). Then, the lot is cupped multiple times at the warehouse using samples from each bag to reach consistency. After the final approval, the coffee is decaffeinated and cupped once again.
Which decaf method was used for El Dragón lot?
The decaffeination method implemented was the Ethyl Acetate, commonly called the ‘sugar cane’ technique. Ethyl Acetate (E.A.) is a volatile product with a sweet chemical scent similar to nail polish remover. The Ethanol (alcohol) that is part of E.A. is commonly extracted from fermented sugar cane. This is why Ethyl Acetate is often called the sugar cane technique.
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Price
Working as coffee farmer is an ongoing challenge influenced by several external factors. At The Coffee Quest, we support the core value of fair price, as we believe producers deserve recognition for their high-quality beans. Moreover, a fair income is an incentive for farmers to keep up with their good work.
Planet
Our regional stations are strategically located, ensuring our best reach to assist local farmers. The Coffee Quest Colombia provides tailored advice for local farmers not only on cup quality improvements but also on environmental issues, such as turning coffee pulp into compost or disposing of polluting wastewater.
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