Veracruz coffee farm
Veracruz Coffee Farm: Colombia
We love visiting Colombia to source new and exciting coffees. As a farm to cup coffee roaster, for us it's all about testing the new season crop of speciality Colombian coffee and bringing home a better knowledge and understanding of what makes these South American coffees so great.
Veracruz holds a special place in the heart of Extract Coffee Roasters as it is our longest standing farmer partnership. We've been buying this Colombian speciality coffee since 2010 after being hooked by Veracruz's innovative coffee fermentation techniques.
We've since bought and roasted Veracruz every year and we always look forward to roasting this incredible coffee to see the changes in flavour that each new season brings.
A hidden gem in Colombian coffee
Veracruz is one of the smaller farms that make up the Santa Barbara Estates. It is home primarily to Colombia and Caturra varietals, and excitingly, to some new and unique varietals including Geisha and a Kenyan Urra. Veracruz was the first farm we viewed in Colombia and we are always blown away by the stunning setting each time we visit.
Sixteen hectares of coffee plantation surround a farmhouse and small mill. The exceptionally steep hillsides create good irrigation for the plants, but make picking a challenge – as we discovered when we first slid our way through the plantation! But, if you decide to brave these steep gradients into the thick of the farm, you'll be rewarded with views of the coffee cherries ripening on the branches.
Experimental Fermentation
Veracruz puts its coffee through an exciting fermentation process.
Coffee is fermented underwater for up to five days in a cold-fermentation process under refrigerated conditions. Each day, cherries from that day's harvest are added to the fermentation tanks.
The coffee farm carefully monitors temperature to regulate ph levels, yeast and bacteria. Coffee fermentation is not without risks, so this careful monitoring ensures that the entire lot is not spoiled and lost thanks to a sudden dip or rise in temperature.
Processing the coffee in this way brings vibrant, red-fruit flavours to the cup, with a honey sweetness and plum-like acidity. We love it!
NEW-SEASON VERACRUZ WILL RETURN IN 2022
UNTIL THEN, SHOP MORE COLOMBIAN COFFEES HERE
COFFEE FARM PROFILE: VERACRUZ
| Farm: | Veracruz |
| Owners: | Pedro Echavarria |
| Varietals: | Colombia & Caturra |
| Processes: | Washed with cold fermentation |
| Altitude: | 1650m above sea level |
| Region: | Antioquia |
| Country: | Colombia |
| Working with Extract since: | 2010 |