El Mirador
El Mirador — the farm of Elkin Guzman, whose family has been producing coffee for over 70 years. And 12 of them with particular dedication to processing technologies research. El Mirador is located in the municipality of Palestine, in the village of El Portal, in the vicinity of the Pompeii Reserve in the valley of the Magdalena River. The farm area is 32 hectares, most of which are planted with exotic coffee varieties such as Catiope, Mokka, Tabi, Geisha, Orange, Striped and Pink Bourbon. 2 ha is occupied by Caturra, which is used for processing experiments.
150hr fermentation
For this process Catiope and Bourbon was chosen because of its versatility in the preparation of any process. Thanks to its great sweetness it allows the microorganisms to have an optimal area to work, where some of them are extracted as lactobacillus, saccharomyses and cerevisiae. Then they are cultivated separately with further addition of yellow fruit nectar. This mixture is fermented for 8 days. After that, 80 liters of the obtained materials are added to the depulped coffee placed inside the 200 liter plastic baskets that are totally sealed. Here the fermentation lasts for another 150 hours until the Brix degrees do not fall below 6 and the pH does not fall below 4. The next step is cleaning from the remains of mucilage, followed by drying for 18-20 days. Beans are stored in the bags for one or two months. Before sending for export, they are cleaned using a huller machine.
About this coffee
Cupping score: 87.50
Farm: El Mirador
Producer: Elkin Guzmán
Region: Huila
Altitude: 1550 – 1750 MASL
Variety: catiope, bourbon
Processing: 150 hrs anaerobic washed
Variety
One of the most culturally and genetically important C. arabica varieties in the world, known for excellent quality in the cup at the highest altitudes. Bourbon is valued for its complex acidity and wonderful balance. It often has a sweet quality and nice and crisp acidity but can present quite distinct flavours depending on where it is planted.
Anaerobic fermentation
Fermentation is a chemical process whereby carbohydrates, such as sugars are broken down into alcohols or acids by microbial activities in the absence of oxygen. While fermentation is, by its nature, an anaerobic process, the term “anaerobic fermentation” refers specifically to fermentation that occurs in a custom-built, oxygen-free environment, such as a sealed container or tank.
