Overview & Sensory Profile

The "El Indio" crop is not just specialty coffee; it is an agricultural development project presenting a wonderful model of sustainability and fair trade.

This crop combines the geographical characteristics of the Tolima department with the efforts of indigenous communities to produce a cup full of concentrated chocolate and red fruit flavors.

Geography & Terroir

The crop hails from the Planadas municipality in the mountainous Tolima region in central-western Colombia.

Tolima is geographically known for its extremely rich volcanic ash soil and a cool climate that benefits from an excellent distribution of rainfall year-round, allowing coffee cultivation at high altitudes ranging between 1500 and 2150 meters above sea level.

Community & Cultivation

The human story behind this crop belongs to the "Nasa We'sx" indigenous community, who founded the ASCI'SP cooperative in 2014 to develop agricultural practices and protect their lands.

Around 175 producing families, supported by export experts since 2019, work on perfecting natural processing methods for their varieties (mostly Caturra) to reach specialty coffee quality and secure fair prices that bypass the volatility of the New York C-price.

Processing & Biochemical Impact

Processing this crop requires patience and science; the whole cherries are dried on raised beds or concrete patios very slowly for up to 20-25 days to precisely reach 11% moisture.

This long drying in Tolima's cold environment limits spoilage bacteria growth and allows enzymes to break down fructose and sucrose to increase the bean's sweetness and density.

This produces a dazzlingly clear cup, where noble cacao nibs bitterness emerges, mixed with the deep sweetness of red fruits and chocolate.