KB Colombia Los Nogales Whole Bean
8.8oz / 250g Whole Bean
Notes: Fruit Bomb, Pineapple, Tropical, Peach, Cocoa Beans, Papaya, Floral, Sweet
Region: Pitalito, Huila
Producer: Angie Hernandez, Los Nogales
Varietal: Caturra
Process: Washed Thermal Shock
Elevation: 1870 - 2000 m
From KB:
"HISTORY OF LOS NOGALES FARM
About 80 years ago, when the Brussels district was just being formed, Ricardo Hernández and Concepción Castillo arrived from Nariño, to fertile wastelands, grateful to those who would be their protectors and set a precedent in the history of coffee. Upon finding this paradise, they decided to start their family, and from the fruit of their love, eight children were born who dedicated their lives to the countryside. Among these eight brothers, one stood out, making the family a lasting memory in the world of coffee.
Ricaurte Hernández, the youngest son of Ricardo Hernández and Concepción Castillo, was born in 1952. He is a farmer who learned from the land the value of generosity, humility, and entrepreneurship.
His profession had always been that of a coffee farmer, and he dreamed of being able to see his children grow up on his farm with the values he had learned. Ricaurte met his life partner Suldery Arango in Valle del Cauca, an enterprising woman with coffee in her blood and with whom she would build a coffee empire hand in hand with her children, Olga Lucia, John Fredy, Liliana, Nancy, Paola, Oscar Fernando, Patricia, and Angie Julieth.
However, in the 1990s, they decided to take up farming and emigrate to Caquetá.
When it came to selling the farm, the cattle business was not working and they returned to their land which would bring them the greatest happiness of their lives.
In 2005, Colombia revolutionized the world of coffee with the first "Cup of Excellence" competition, in which more than 280 lots participated, including the Los Nogales farm—led by Ricaurte Hernández—winning first place, as its coffee was ranked by a group of international juries as the best among all the coffee groups presented at the competition.
Ricaurte always wanted to promote the field from other angles, giving added value to specialty coffee, promoting new ways of treating the soil, looking for new ways of marketing and doing business, a passion that he passed on to his children who would inherit this great responsibility.
THE COFFEE PLANTATION :
On February 17, 2013, while Ricaurte was traveling to the Los Nogales farm, armed groups killed him, making him one more victim of the endless violence that plagues the country.
The coffee leader, a pioneer of high-quality coffee, an unforgettable symbol of courage and perseverance, leaves a great precedent and an example in history for the thousands of farmers who make their living from coffee plantations.
The blow to the family was accompanied by a country that mourned their loss. They decided to sell the farm after this tragic event, seeking to offer their mother better well-being. However, the youngest son, Oscar Fernando—who at the time belonged to the French Navy—decided to leave his military career and take over his father's great legacy.
Oscar Fernando Hernández, an industrial engineer and former naval petty officer, is the youngest of Ricaurte Hernández's sons and is currently at the helm of the family business.
THE HERNANDEZ SISTERS ARE REVOLUTIONIZING THE ROLE OF WOMEN IN THE COUNTRYSIDE:
Angie Hernández, an industrial engineer and laboratory manager at the family business, as a scientist led her to experiment and improve fermentation systems at just 24 years old. She is a key pillar of the company.
"We women have shown that we are very capable, every day we take on more important roles... The world of coffee is immense, and seeing it through a microscope is incredible," said Angie Hernández. Olga Hernández, the eldest of the siblings, is now a leader, representing the coffee growers' federation, who stands out for her community work and the preservation of peasant rights in the territory.
THE PROCESS:
● STEP 1. COLLECTION, MANUAL SELECTION OF RIPE CHERRIES
● STEP 2. CLEANING AND DISINFECTION WITH TREATED WATER: THE HARVESTED COFFEE BEANS ARE SUBJECTED TO A DEEP CLEANING AND DISINFECTION WITH TREATED WATER. THIS ALLOWS THE ELIMINATION OF IMPURITIES AND UNWANTED MICROORGANISMS.
● STEP 3. HEAT SHOCK: The selected beans are subjected to a
heat shock with water at 80 degrees Celsius for 1 minute, followed by rapid cooling with cold water for 3 minutes. This process decompresses the sugars and pasteurizes the beans, which contributes to the final flavor of the coffee.
● STEP 4. The coffee beans are depulped
● STEP 5. FERMENTATION: A FERMENTATION PROCESS THAT LASTS 120 HOURS. DURING THIS TIME, THE SUGARS BREAKDOWN, INFLUENCES THE FLAVOR AND ACIDITY OF THE COFFEE. THE ADDITION OF PREFERMENTS, SIMILAR TO BREAD LEAVENING, IS ALSO USED.
● 7. SUN-DRYING: FINALLY, THE COFFEE BEANS ARE DRIED IN THE
SUN FOR 15 DAYS. THIS STEP IS ESSENTIAL FOR REDUCING
THE MOISTURE OF THE BEANS TO A LEVEL SUITABLE FOR STORAGE."