Kolumbien - Finca El Origen Direct Trade / Espresso

About ten years ago, Helmut Ulrich began a project with Soul Seed at the foot of the Sierra Nevada in Colombia, with a particularly strong focus on sustainability. The old Arabica coffee plants are grown organically in harmony with nature. Chemical fertilizers and pesticides are kept away from the coffee plants and the harvest workers. They are fertilized only with the farm’s own compost, chicken manure, and recycled water. Although the farm has always practiced ecological coffee cultivation, it gave up its organic certification with the 2025 harvest because of the high costs for a small farm.

The Austrian-born farmer places particular importance on involving the local community in his project. For this reason, harvest workers on the farm are paid twice the local rate. In addition, as many processing steps as possible are deliberately carried out by hand rather than by machine, allowing more income to remain with the harvest workers.

To enrich the unique flora and fauna on and around the coffee farm, Helmut is actively reforesting the area. For every sack of coffee sold, 100 native trees are planted. He also supports his neighbors with coffee seedlings so they can improve their harvests.

The coffee cherries are wet processed right on the farm, which is difficult to reach by vehicle. After the fruit is removed, the coffee beans are fermented in tanks for 18 hours. This removes the remaining fruit and mucilage. The coffee beans are then washed and dried on African raised beds. This processing produces a particularly clean cup profile.

The dark roast gives this coffee a full body and pleasing roast flavors. Flavors of dark chocolate, caramel, and dried fruit delight the palate. This coffee is especially suited to classic espresso and milk drinks.

Region: Minca, Sierra Nevada

Farmer: Helmut Ullrich

Growing altitude: 1200 m

Varieties: Bourbon, Typica, Caturra

Processing: Washed

Recommended brewing methods: Espresso machine, moka pot, superautomatic espresso machine

Best taste recommendation: 3 - 16 weeks after roasting (best-before date - 1 year)

Body: 4/5

Fruit: 1/5

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