Finca La Praderita, in Santa María, Huila

José Ignacio employs a unique fermentation style known locally as “cochada.” Upon arrival at the wet mill, the cherries are floated and then left in the fermentation tank for multiple days, mixed with cherries from different days of picking. In the first half of the week, coffee picked on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday is de-pulped at the end of each day and layered on top of the previous day’s batch. Finally, on Friday morning, the entire lot is washed and prepared for drying. This process offers a fermentation gradient, adding complexity to the lot. After washing, the coffee is sun-dried for approximately 2 days to remove the bulk of the moisture and then transferred to a greenhouse to finish drying for about 15 days, depending on weather conditions.