It was in the month of February when we last blogged about the Roaster's Pick and yet we are now two days into May! Indeed month of March & April flew by so fast that we hardly manage to catch our breath.

There was so many delicious coffees introduced during our Anniversary month of March stretching into April and we hope you managed to try them all. For now, let's explore what month of May have in-store for us.

Finca La Primavera was our April 2021 Roaster's Choice Subscription single origin coffee and this coffee was enjoyed by all our subscribers who have had the first taste of it then. A consistent cup with a good structure, sweet and great clarity from hot to cold. We are sure you will enjoy it too.

This gem of a microlot of the Caturra and Colombia varietal is produced by Hugo Sepulveda from Urrao, Antioquia. Over the course of two days, each day’s pulped cherries are added to a fermentation tank with the previous days’ pickings. In this method of ‘extended’ fermentation, each consecutive batch raises the ph level (i.e. makes more alkaline) of the fermentation tank, permitting longer fermentation times that will produce a fruit-forward cup but without the acetic acid produced by bacteria at a low ph. In this way, the producer is able to maintain the correct ph level and avoid very low ph levels during processing that can lead to over-fermentation and vinegary qualities. In addition to giving more control over ph levels also gives more control over yeast and bacteria activity. Interestingly, the practice is common with small farmers throughout Antioquia and Huila, who often have two or three day fermentation as their farms are so small that one day’s picking is often not sufficient to make up an entire lot. Don Hugo works with these traditional methods, but puts extra attention into making sure every step is perfectly executed.

Finca La Primavera is a very small farm even by local standards at only 1.5 ha. This only means that Hugo has had to work extra hard throughout his life to make the farm as productive as possible. This hasn’t stopped him from smiling, however! Don Hugo receives you with a smile every single time you visit, and that smile tends never to fade away throughout your stay at la Primavera. As an original member of the Pavón group, Don Hugo has been crucial in helping Pablo Emilio Montoya (the group’s leader) keep the group cohesive and working together.  Hugo is famous amongst his neighbours for the attention he puts into both cultivation and processing so as to ensure his crop receives the best placement possible on the market.

Planting of coffee started on Fazenda Milano in the year 1999 with 200ha planted each year from 1999 to 2001, totalling 600ha during this first phase. At that time, the current land owner was the sole user of the farm. The new producer, Olam took over the plantation in 2012. After entering this agricultural partnership agreement, Olam planted another 1,200ha of coffee from 2012 to 2016, taking the total planted area to the 1800ha as stipulated in the agreement. Today the farm is the largest coffee farm in Bahia state, certified under 4C, UTZ and RFA since 2017, with the highest distinction of sustainable practices in Brazil from Rainforest Alliance (November 2018). 

This is our maiden purchase from the Milano Estate too. From the same coffee importer that brought you the delicious Bravinhos Danilo Barbosa, we re-indulge you to a good, classic Brazilian flavour notes of Milk Chocolates, Caramelised Nuts & Dried Fruits.