Colombia, Andrés Cardona

This coffee is a gold standard example of a meticulously natural process coffee from Colombia.

We are so inspired by Andrés. His kind and gentle manner is only matched by his hard work, drive, and focus. Andrés is heavily involved in the UVI young producer program with Unblended and Ventolera. The 'Young Producer Program' is a label that helps young coffee producers create and grow their own coffee businesses. The goal is to share the mission of making coffee farming an exciting career path for young people, highlighting that well-managed coffee can be a great option. We firmly believe that The Future is Young. We feel very fortunate to play a part in this program in purchasing Andrés' coffees and supporting the program.

Andrés is the owner and operator of his own farm where he is tirelessly working to improve his operations by incorporating modern machinery. He's also begun to purchase cherries from his neighbors to increase his production. Andres also assists with his mentor, Felipe Trujillo's farm as well as supervising his family's farm. You simply won't find another farmer more driven than Andrés.

This coffee is a natural processed coffee. This is different from the washed process that is more common in Colombia. During the processing of the coffee cherries, the fruit remains intact with the seed throughout the entire drying process. The coffee is sorted to check for ripeness, and then dried on patios or raised beds while being constantly monitored and turned to prevent spoiling. The coffee cherries are then milled to separate, or “hull”, the now-dried fruit from the seeds. Natural coffees are known for their fruit-forward complexity, as the intact fruit lends its flavor to the seed during drying.