Pala Kaffebrenneri is a small roastery in Trondheim. They roast specialty coffee from all over the world with a main focus on South/Central America and Africa. Pala was started in autumn 2017, by Idar Ellingsen. Idar has worked with specialty coffee in the service industry since 2005 and has extensive experience as a barista, coffee roaster, bartender, course instructor and consultant. He is certified Q-grader, twice Norwegian champion in coffee tasting and also has two silvers from the Norwegian championship in coffee roasting.
Finca El Recreo - Colombia
COUNTRY: Colombia
FARM/COOP/STATION: Finca El Recreo
VARIETAL: Pink Bourbon
PROCESSING: Anaerobic Natural
ALTITUDE:1700-1800 masl
OWNER: Juan David Cardona
SUBREGION/TOWN: Algeciras
REGION: Huila
FARM SIZE: 4 hektar
FLAVOUR NOTES:
ABOUT THIS FARMER
Jose Espinoza, the owner of Finca El Recreo, was born on the farm but left it at a young age to work with cattle and other livestock. As he grew older, he inherited the farm from his father and decided to make coffee his livelihood. In 2016, he and his wife planted their first coffee trees.
Today, Jose Espinoza and his family reside at Finca El Recreo with their two sons and grandchildren. They live in a community surrounded by Jose's extended family, including his brothers. Jose also has plans to start purchasing coffee cherries from other farmers in the area and to expand the dry mill.
When one of his sons became interested in alternative processing methods, Jose and his sons reached out to Yonatan Gonzales at Cuatro Vientos. Most coffee producers in Algeciras produce washed coffee, so they had to look outside their region to acquire the knowledge they needed. Yonatan helped them understand yields, costs, and selling prices, and they eventually figured out a profitable method for producing natural coffees.
Jose and his sons began producing naturals in June 2020. Now, nearly 80% of their harvest is natural and anaerobically processed.
CULTIVATION
To produce high-quality naturals, they expanded their drying capacity and built solar drying modules. In addition to better prices, Jose appreciates that the natural processing method uses far less water than washed processing, making it more environmentally friendly.
Ripe, red coffee cherries are carefully handpicked and then undergo a 40-hour anaerobic fermentation. After fermentation, the coffee cherries are laid out for drying on elevated drying tables. The coffee is regularly raked and monitored to ensure even and thorough drying. This process takes 20 to 21 days.
The Huila region is one of the most renowned coffee-growing areas in Colombia. Huila has a population of 1.125 million and is located in the southwest of the country. The capital of Huila is Neiva, a city with approximately 380,000 inhabitants.
Together with Cauca and Nariño, Huila is one of the three departments where the Colombian Massif is located. A massif is a group of mountain ranges, and the Colombian Massif, locally known as Nudo de Almaguer, provides up to 70% of safe drinking water and agricultural water for the Colombian population.
The Magdalena River, Colombia's largest river, flows through the region, providing ample water for coffee cultivation and contributing (directly and indirectly) to up to 86% of Colombia's GDP. The mountain range also has the fertile volcanic soil typical of the Andes.
This incredible region, combined with the processing techniques and the diligent work that Jose and his sons put into their coffee, gives the coffee from Finca El Recreo a unique character that we are delighted to share with you, through Langøras Coffee Calendar!
El Recreo is a coffee that combines tradition, innovation, and environmental care. We hope you will enjoy this fruity and juicy coffee from Jose Espinoza and his family.
COFFEE IN COLOMBIA
Colombia has been producing and exporting coffees renowned for their full body and bright acidity since the early 19th century. Thanks to its wide range of coffee-growing regions, microclimates, and altitudes, Colombia can meet demand for coffee throughout the whole year.
Although coffee production in Colombia did not become a large commercial industry until the 19th century, it is likely that coffee was introduced to Colombia about a century earlier by Jesuit priests.
Once commercial production started, it spread quickly. The first commercial coffee plantations were established in the northeast, near the border with Venezuela. Today, coffee is widespread and grown commercially in 20 of Colombia’s 32 Departments.
Historically, Colombia’s most renowned coffee-growing region has been the Eje Cafetero (Coffee Axis), also known as the ‘Coffee Triangle’. This region includes the departments of Caldas, Quindío and Risaralda. With a combined total area of 13,873 km² (5356 mi²), the region covers about 1.2% of the Colombian territory and composes 15% of the total land planted under coffee in the country. The region has also been declared a UNESCO World Heritage site.
While the Eje Cafetero is still a coffee-producing powerhouse, coffee production in Colombia now extends far beyond this zone. In recent years, the departments of Huila, Tolima, Cauca and Nariño have become sought after and well-known coffee-growing regions. Today, they are the largest producers of coffee in Colombia by volume.
Today, there are an estimated 540,000 coffee producers in the country; around 95% of these are smallholder farmers with landholdings that are under 5 hectares. These farmers collectively contribute around 16% of the country’s annual agricultural GDP.
Colombia boasts a wide range of microclimates and geographic conditions that produce the unique flavors so loved in Colombian coffees. While there are many sub-regions and progressively smaller geographical designations — all the way down to individual farms — broadly speaking, coffees in Colombia can be separated into three major regions whose climate, soils and altitudes affect tastes.
Coffees grown in the north (Magdalena, Santander and Norte de Santander) are usually planted at lower altitudes where temperatures are higher. As such, these coffees tend to have deeper, earthier tastes with a medium acidity, more body and notes of nuts and chocolate.
Coffees coming from the central regions (Caldas, Quindío, Risaralda, North of Valle, Antioquia, Cundinamarca and North of Tolima) are celebrated for their overall balance and their fruity, herbal notes. Flavor variations highlight the specific characteristics of each micro-region.
The southern regions (Cauca, Nariño, Huila and South of Tolima) are prized for producing smooth coffees with high sweetness and citrus notes. They are also known for their medium body and more pronounced acidity.
Another distinguishing feature of Colombian coffee production is the mitaca crop – a second harvest that occurs roughly 6 months after the main crop in most regions. The mitaca crop is a result of moist ocean air rising from both the Pacific and the Caribbean, and the north-to-south orientation of the central cordilleras (mountain ranges).
Colombia’s wide range of climates also means that harvest times can vary significantly. Due to these varying harvest times — and the mitaca crop — fresh crop Colombian coffee is available nearly year-round.
