Farmer: Hugo de Jesus Londono Quinseno
Origin: Colombia
Region: Jardin, Antiquia
Preparation: Dried in House
Elevation: 1400-1700 meters
Our Use: 90 bags
Jardin means garden in Spanish, and located just outside of this Colombian town, the region that our La Meseta comes from lives up to the name. Beautiful flowers, old colonial towns, the area holds on to tradition where you’re just as likely to see farmers riding on horseback into town as you’ll see people on motorcycles.
Our relationship with La Meseta started in 2011 when we took a trip down after receiving a number of samples sent to Dayton. These samples were blind tasted and narrowed down into the farms that we then toured. After tasting La Meseta again, we knew immediately it was something special. Minutes after we finished our cupping on site and had cracked open beers, Hugo, the farmer walked in. He had just sold to a competitor’s mill and we’d be unable to get them until the next year. We bought 40 bags then and 90 bags the year after that, choosing to use his beans in our espresso.
Hugo lives in a traditional Colombian house that he uses to dry the beans in, four floors high with the top three wooden based floors used for drying – similar to a tobacco barn. The dry, air setting lets the coffee develop longer without molding, giving it a vanilla sweetness that really stands out. Most South American regions have a rainy and dry season, allowing for only one harvest. Located where the Andes end on the Pacific side, it rains year round and allows for multiple harvests and higher production.
We’ve also been honored to partner locally and were able to help with a local school in Jardin as well as buying Hugo’s first roaster.
