San Sebastián, Colombia

Origin: La Plata, Huila, Colombia Roast: Filter - light roast Flavour Profile: Crisp apple, jasmine, citrus. Light and sweet. Process: Washed Varieties: Caturra, Colombia, Castillo Farmers: Smallholders from La Plata Altitude: 1,400 - 2,000 metres above sea level Importer: Caravela San Sebastián is the old parish name for La Plata, a town in Huila in Colombia's south west, and it's the name given to this lot purchased from the growers around it. Those growers belong to Global Cafés, an association of just over a hundred small and medium producers spread across La Plata and a few neighbouring municipalities on the Huila and Cauca border, most farming somewhere between one and five hectares of traditional varieties. Caravela has worked with the group for over ten years, and rather than buying blind it set up a cupping lab in town with a full-time quality analyst who works alongside the members. Every delivery, however small, is graded and cupped, and only the lots that fit the San Sebastián profile go into it. The farmers do the rest: picking by hand, washing, and drying in the sun.