Introduction to Colombian Finca El Tonto Mauricio Smallholder - Colombian Coffee Introduction

Cauca Department: A Rising Star in Colombian Coffee

Located at an elevation of 1500 meters in southwestern Colombia, Cauca Department lies above Narino Department and borders the renowned Huila region. Although Cauca is a consistent winning region in the Cup of Excellence (COE), its reputation doesn't match that of the other two departments mentioned above. This led to the establishment of the Cauca Best Cup competition in 2014, jointly organized by prominent American traders, local exporters, and the Colombian Coffee Growers Federation.

The first Cauca Best Cup in 2014 received approximately 200 entries, while 2015 saw more than double that number, with about 500 small farmer batches competing. Such significant growth in just the second year demonstrates that the Cauca Cup genuinely provides substantial benefits. It not only significantly increases small farmers' income and improves their living conditions, but also encourages them to invest more in and refine their coffee cultivation and production, resulting in higher-quality coffee.

Competition and Impact

Organizers selected the top 30 entries from over 500 samples, which were then evaluated by an international panel of cuppers to determine the final top 12. On the competition's final day, green coffee buyers and roasters from around the world took part in the bidding process.

Typically, Colombian farmers earn about $3 per pound for specialty coffee, but the winning bids for the top three places in the 2015 Cauca Cup were $31.50, $20.40, and $16.00 per pound respectively - several times higher than usual. The total sales revenue from the entire Cauca Best Cup exceeded $10000 USD compared with their original sales income, a truly remarkable achievement.

Finca El Tonto: Success Story

Mauricio Mesa, a small farmer from Finca El Tonto, achieved an impressive seventh place in the 2015 Cauca Best Cup. Mauricio has been growing coffee for about four years, and his farm spans approximately 8 hectares, with an average of 6200 coffee trees per hectare. The harvest season at Finca El Tonto runs from May to July each year, with harvesting occurring approximately every 15 days.

Mauricio uses traditional depulpers to remove the fruit pulp, then ferments the beans for 17-18 hours before washing them 5-6 times with clean water. The beans are then dried in parabolic dryers for 8-15 days to complete the process. Mauricio's coffee reached the finals in 2014 and achieved seventh place in 2015, earning praise for its high quality.

Brewing Recommendations

FrontStreet Coffee suggests the following brewing parameters:

Pour-over: V60 dripper, grind at 3.5 on Fuji R440, water temperature around 90°C

French press: recommended grind setting 4, water temperature 90°C

Siphon: recommended grind setting 4, water temperature 90°C-91°C

AeroPress: recommended grind setting 3.5, water temperature 90°C

FrontStreet Coffee Recommendation

Colombian coffee is one of the few single origins sold under its country name, and to understand the region, FrontStreet Coffee's Washed Huila is the ideal starting point. Grown in the hills of southern Huila at elevations above 1500 meters, where the country's most important rivers converge and bring abundant water and humidity, it is roasted medium-dark to emphasize dark chocolate and nutty sweetness, a moderate oiliness, and a full body. It suits a pour-over or French press, and it also extracts well as moka pot coffee or on an espresso machine for an Americano or a latte. For a more modern expression of Colombian innovation, FrontStreet Coffee's Frontera Estate Sidra uses a double anaerobic natural process and a medium-light roast, transforming the coffee into rich tropical aromas - passion fruit, grape, apricot, and dried fruit - and it works as a pour-over, cold brew, drip bag, or moka pot coffee.

To keep a Colombian washed coffee clean and structured, FrontStreet Coffee suggests a pour-over with 15g of coffee at a 1:15 ratio and 90°C water, ground to a medium-fine size. Bloom with 30g for 30 seconds, pour to about 125g, and finish to roughly 225g once the bed drops, for a drawdown near 2:00-2:20. For the anaerobic Sidra, keep the water a touch cooler to protect the bright fruit and spice.