Colombia - Hermer Sánchez

Technical Info:

Producer: Hermer Arturo Sánchez
Region: Palestina, Huila, Colombia
Altitude: 1,700 masl
Process: 28-hour anoxic in-cherry fermentation, 48-hour open tank dry mass fermentation, full-washed, sun-dried
Varietal: Colombia Rosado

About the Producer

The Sánchez family is a very well-known presence in the Palestina coffee scene. The family has a long heritage in coffee production but it was not until the late 1960’s that they arrived at Hula from Cundinamarca. Upon arrival in Huila, Hermer's parents established plantations of Typica on their newly obtained land. Over the years these Typica plantations were converted to Caturra and other varietals, including Colombia Rosada (typically, and arguably incorrectly (but that’s another story altogether), known locally as Pink Bourbon).

Why does all of this matter? Isn’t the coffee of an entire region good, no matter who it is from? Or is it the coffee grower who imprints their personality on their coffees? The chicken or the egg? We believe that it all matters, the grower’s touch (both pre-and post-harvest), the right location, nice varietals, a lot of smarts and dedication, and maybe a little bit of luck.

Following in the footsteps of his brothers Orlando and Rigoberto (who have previously been selling their coffees through LaREB), Hermer has begun, as well, to work in specialty coffee. This is the second harvest he has sold on the specialty coffee market.

For this lot, Hermer has added character to an already characteristically abundant coffee varietal, through his post-harvest processing methods in which he uses longer than typical fermentation times, both in-husk and after pulping, to increase the concentrations of sugars, enzymes, and acids during fermentation and to prolong the time the coffee spends in contact with these organisms. The increased microbial load and time the coffee spends in that environment contribute to the increased production of Maillard (sugar-browning) compounds and volatile aromatic compounds during the roasting process. Put simply, all of this, when done correctly, makes your coffee sweeter, fuller-bodied, and more complex.

Hermer nailed it with this one and we hope you’ll enjoy this coffee as much as we are.

Check out the Hermer Sánchez brew recipes here.