Colombia Honey Aponte Hugo Agreda

This microlot honey coffee come from Hugo Agreda in Aponte, Nariño. His small 1 hectare farm is located near the town center, and is planted in Caturra and Castillo. 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 paramó 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. Hugo mentioned that he hopes this interest in Aponte coffee will be sustained, and inspire the younger generation to continue planting coffee. Hugo's farm sits at 2200 meters above sea level, and he honey processes all of his coffee. 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. The honey process involves removing the outer cherry skin, but leaving the fruit mucilage intact for the entire drying period. This leads to uneven coloring in the green beans, which can be a surprise to those who haven't seen a honey process coffee. It often leads to fruitier flavors in the cup, like Hugo Agreda's coffee. It also means a lot of chaff during roasting, which is something to keep an eye on, and definitely vacuum out after every roast.