Huver Castillo's family has been farming in Nariño, Colombia, for generations, but for most of his adult life, he took a different path. Until 2015, Huver was a math teacher in his hometown. When coffee prices crashed in 2014, though, he made the tough call to return to his roots and take on the farm with his family, even though the risks were high.

It took years of experimenting and learning, but by 2018 the Castillos were able to export their first lots of specialty coffee. That move from commodity to specialty, along with a relentless focus on quality and processing, has kept the farm not only afloat, but thriving. These days, Huver works alongside his father on the land that’s been in their family for more than 20 years, and he’s deeply proud of what they’ve built together.

This lot is a great example of that hard work. After being handpicked at peak ripeness, the cherries go through a carefully controlled fermentation process. They spend 48 hours sealed in temperature-controlled tanks with brewer’s yeast added, then are de-pulped without water and left to ferment another 24 hours. Because the mucilage isn’t washed off, it develops even more sweetness and depth. Finally, the coffee is dried slowly on raised beds in a temperature-controlled room, first at low heat for a week, then gradually until it reaches a perfect 12% moisture content.

The resulting coffee is bursting with sweet citrus and floral notes. Get dialed in with a 1:16 brew ratio, filtered water at 204-206℉, a medium-coarse grind, and a 3-3.5 minute brew cycle.