EL PUENTE, KOLUMBIA - ESPRESSO / DARK FILTER COFFEE

El Puente, which has delighted us for few years already, is back—more delicious than ever! This coffee from the Huila region of Colombia is roasted for espresso but also works wonderfully as a slightly bolder filter coffee. It has a pleasant fruitiness without being too acidic. The taste is balanced and sweet, with notes of orange, caramel, and chocolate.

El Puente is a collaborative project that brings together Aromas del Sur, El Mirador, Clearpath Coffee, and the small-scale farmers of the region. Aromas del Sur is a group of multiple coffee farms owned by a couple, Claudia Samboni and Rodrigo Sanchez. El Mirador is a farm owned by another couple, Elkin Guzman and Diana Devia, where the processing of El Puente coffee takes place. Clearpath Coffee is an export company that handles the sales and logistics of the coffee worldwide.

El Puente was founded in 2018 when the project's partners realized that local small farmers were facing challenges such as a lack of proper processing methods, financial resources, and risks associated with adopting new farming techniques. The project was established to address these issues and serve as a support hub for local farmers, assisting them in all aspects of coffee cultivation and processing their coffee for sale. The name "El Puente" translates to "bridge" in English. Thanks to the project, farmers in the region have been able to improve the quality of their coffee, which in turn has increased their earnings. The project also ensures that only coffee cherries meeting their quality standards are processed with great care. This skilled and meticulous work results in this high-quality, clean, and delicious coffee.

This coffee is a blend of cherries collected from various farms in the region. Upon arrival at the processing station, the cherries' ripeness is checked. They are then floated in water to separate defective cherries before the coffee beans are pulped. The station uses a Brix meter to measure sugar content, which helps determine the fermentation time. The fermentation takes place in sealed tanks for approximately 30–42 hours. After fermentation, the coffee is washed and dried on raised beds for about 15–18 days.