Colombia Maria Else

I met Maria Else on my first trip to Colombia. She is the youngest of 3 coffee growing siblings, and her crop is one of the highest scoring Colombian coffees we purchased this season.

She and her siblings all grow coffee high on the mountain above Buesaco. They each grow their own lots and use a shared mill to process and dry. 

Maria doesn’t own the farm — she has worked it on a sharecropping basis for many years. Though she did not inherit a coffee-growing background (her connection to the land came only through her grandparents), Maria has cultivated a deep connection with the coffee process.

Inspired by her grandfather’s stories and driven by the need to provide for her daughter Natalia's education, Maria began cultivating coffee about 16 years ago.
Since then, she has focused on producing high-quality coffee, emphasizing careful cherry selection and traditional washing methods. She grows primarily Caturra at an altitude of 1,850 meters above sea level. The cherries are manually harvested to ensure only the ripest are selected.

They undergo a washed process with a traditional 20 to 30-hour fermentation before being dried on patios for about 10 to 15 days. Maria also incorporates sustainable practices by planting fruit trees — including guava, orange, and avocado — for shade.

*This lot has a touch of fermentation in the flavor profile. It lends to the Peach Gummy flavor note

Region:               Buesaco, Narino

Varietal:              100% Caturra

Elevation:           1850 Meters Above Sea Level

Farmer:               Maria Else Chavez Villota

Process:             Washed

Notes:                 Peach Gummy, Navel Orange, Honey

Harvest:             June 2025

Roast Level:       Medium Light

MSRP:               $26