CARLOS EMILIO – COLOMBIA

COLOMBIA – CARLOS EMILIO

Taste: Lime, Pineapple Rings, Tangerine
Origin: Colombia
Roast Degree: Light
Varietal: Chiroso
Process: Washed
Eleveation: 1950 masl
Producer: Carlos Emilio 

In the Mountains of Santa Barbara, Antioquia, Carlos Emilio Vélez and his wife have spent nearly four decades cultivating coffee at Los Alpes, a farm that became his calling almost by chance. In 1985, a land exchange brought Carlos and his family from their conflict-facing cattle farming life in Cauca, to the sanctuary of Los Alpes, where a small number of naturally occurring coffee trees sparked a passion that would change his future. Alongside his wife, Carlos has continued to refine his approach to growing different varieties and mastering different processing methods. Carlos is a force of nature, hilarious in his storytelling all with a cheeky twinkle in his eye. We arrived at his farm at 10 am and did not leave till 9pm laughing and eventually drinking some of the local moonshine called tapetuza, which Carlos forced me to go home with. This washed Chiroso variety, grown at 1,850 metres above sea level, showcases one of Colombia’s most interesting and rare varieties. This coffee was carefully washed to highlight its clarity; the cup opens with sweet, fragrant florals followed by notes of tangerine, lime and pineapple rings.