NOTES: CHERRY LIQUOR, RAISINS, RICH BUTTERY MOUTHFEEL, NOTES OF SWEET BLUEBERRIES AND DARK CHOCOLATE BODY.

Producer Alonzo Benitez is located in the Northwest Region of Colombia, specifically in the Socorro village in the Árbol Solo district of Santander. With harvests generally taking place from November through January, growing altitude at the estate is around 1600m and the crop is comprised of the Castillo variety. Alonzo Benitez is 46 years old and is a Soccoro, Santander native. He has dedicated his life to coffee farming after inheriting the farm and the family tradition. 26 years ago, Don Alonzo inherited part of his land, but he bought the rest of his current farm with his earnings over time. He and his wife have three children together, and they all devote their time to farming. Along with coffee, they farm a variety of fruits and vegetables. In the off season of coffee, the Benitez family depends on corn, plantain, bean and poultry farming. Through coffee they are able to generate employment for over 20 pickers during harvest. Their children plan to continue the family tradition when the time comes.

1. Colombia has the ideal geography for coffee production. Their coffee is known for its rich, mild flavor that comes from the perfect climate and elevation. As you may have heard before, coffee grows best in volcanic soil, at 1,200-1,800 meter elevation, in places that are free of frost but receive around 80 inches (200 cm) of rain a year. Colombia ticks all those boxes.
2. Colombia basically has a bean to suit every taste. As you can see in the picture, Colombia has wide growing areas that run from north to south, producing different bean flavors. For example, the northern region that includes Norte de Santander, Santander, and ‘Others” is warmer and lower altitude and produces coffee that has lower acidity and a fuller body. Central region including Antioquia, Cundinamarca, and the north of Tolima harvests all year round. Finally, the beans from the southern part of the country (Nariño, Cauca, Huila and the south of Tolima grow at higher altitudes, closer to the equator, giving them a higher acidity and much sought-after sweetness. What’s all this mean? The taste of coffee is subjective, and you will definitely find exceptional coffee that you’ll love.
3. The whole country is behind coffee production. There are more than 500,000 families that produce coffee in Colombia, and they are in a well-organized trade association that is focused on making sure these families have good working conditions, improved infrastructure, and social security. And because it’s all family-owned business, these coffee growers pour a lot of love into what they do.

Colombian Coffee took a hit as far as gross production numbers due to Covid 19. Colombia is predicted to produce about 14 Million bags of coffee this year. Almost 50% of Colombia’s Coffee goes to the USA. One interesting fact of Covid is that Colombia is now resorting to more speciality coffee picking styles due to a shortage of labour. Colombian coffee is about 70% produced on smallhold farms of less than 5ha