Colombia Honey Aponte Laureano Martinez

This honey process coffee comes from farmer Laureano Martinez in Aponte, Nariño. His farm is located in Vereda El Paramo at around 1900 meters above sea level, planted mostly in Caturra and Variedad Colombia varieties. The people of Aponte are of Inga decent, a pre-Colombian ethnic group related to the Incas, their native tongue being Inga Kichwa. Aponte is located in a misty páramo region of very high altitude. The farmers in this growing region grow mainly Caturra, Castillo, and Variedad Colombia cultivars, the latter being disease resistant hybrids known for high production. The remote location and far reach from the Colombian government has made it a desirable area for growing illegal poppy crops too. But outside interest in coffee from this area and the competitive prices being paid have made coffee an attractive alternative. An interesting aspect about coffee from this region is that honey processing is the standard. Each producer handles their own processing at home too, which can mean quite a bit of flavor variation from one neighbor to the next. After pulping the coffee, the coffee ferments for 2 days in a tank without water before moving to the drying beds. Honey process coffees produce a lot more chaff that wet process during roasting, which is something to keep an eye on. If your roaster doesn't have a chaff collector, or the recepticle is small (like Fresh Roast), you should definitely vacuum between roasts.