Purple Caturra
Kumquat Co‑Ferment Washed
Monteblanco

Tastes Like: Kumquat, Lucky Candy, Fruit Tart

Origin: Finca Monteblanco, Huila, Colombia

Variety: Purple Caturra

Producer: Rodrigo Sanchez Valencia

Elevation: 1,730 masl

Process:  Kumquat Co-Ferment Washed

Farm and Producer

Finca Monteblanco, located high along the winding mountain roads of Vereda La Tocora in the San Adolfo municipality above Pitalito, is a family farm managed by Rodrigo Sanchez Valencia in the tradition of coffee cultivation that began with his grandfather. Monteblanco’s 18 hectares sit on the crest of a hill, with the wet mill and drying facilities at the top of the farm and slopes of coffee planted below. In 2002 Rodrigo participated in a local program teaching local children of coffee producers to cup. Before that, he and his family had never considered coffee in terms of cup profile. By learning to differentiate profiles, he and his father and grandfather were able to make the connections between the farming techniques they applied and coffee’s resulting attributes in the cup.

At this time, Rodrigo also began to learn about cupping competitions that evaluate the best lots from farms in a region. He noticed that farms would win one year and then never again, so he decided to investigate how to produce quality coffee consistently. This led him to explore the trees planted on Monteblanco, where he discovered various varieties his grandfather had planted in the 1980’s. One of these varieties is Purple Caturra, a type of Caturra whose cherries ripen to a deep purple color.

Variety

Caturra is a compact, naturally occurring mutation of Bourbon that became widely cultivated in Latin America. Its smaller stature allows closer planting, while careful cultivation and processing remain important to its cup quality.

Processing

For this lot, the process is Kumquat Co-Ferment Washed. Co-fermentation introduces the named additional ingredient during processing, where it interacts with the coffee and fermentation environment. This can change aromatic expression and texture; the final cup also depends on drying and roasting.

In washed processing, the fruit pulp and remaining mucilage are removed before the coffee is dried. This approach often emphasizes a defined structure and separation of flavors, while fermentation and drying choices still influence the result.