Los Patios in La Plata, Huila
At The Coffee Quest, our commitment to the entire Coffee Supply Chain has led us to closely collaborate with producers, invest in our dry-mill, and establish a presence at origin. However, a crucial step in the supply chain remained unaddressed until April 2023.
Introducing TCQ’s Research and Development Team, stationed at origin, with the mission of developing replicable coffee processes that excel on the cupping table—an idea that has taken shape since inception.
Origin: Los Patios Emerges!
It all began as a vision to elevate the cup quality of coffees from producers facing processing challenges, as well as consistency.. Up against market volatility, climate change, and inadequate farm-level infrastructure, we decided to rent drying space in Huila, creating our first processing facility: Los Patios. This initiative allows us to buy cherries from local producers and address the aforementioned issues effectively.
Los Patios: A Hub for Innovation and Excellence
Located initially in Gigante, but relocated to La Plata, Huila, Los Patios became our central hub for coffee processing and research since June 2022. Under the leadership of our Quality Analyst, Alexis Silva, and Regional Coordinator, Alberto Gutierrez, our focus has shifted to also include Co-Fermentation Research, promising improved cupping scores and unique profiles.
Farm-based experiments, particularly in adding external yeasts, led to our first consistent process, which we promote under the name of Tropical Coffee.
The success prompted an expansion of our R&D Department, marked by the integration of Juliana in April 2023.
Los Patios Today — TCQ’s Coffee Lab
Currently, Los Patios stands as our primary Coffee Processing and Research facility, equipped with a lab, trained personnel, and drying patios. The diligent efforts of our R&D Department resulted in successful proprietary processes, such as Solsticio, Mellow Yellow and Scarlet.
We hold high hopes for the future and the untapped potential that Los Patios continues to unveil, allowing us to elevate everyone across the supply chain.
