COLOMBIA Finca San Jose

PROCESSING: Washed ; SCA SCORE: 86.5 pts.
Flavor Profile: notes of melon, fudge, and milk chocolate.

Fernely initially purchased San Jose Farm in partnership with another farmer, but after four years he became the sole owner. Since then, he has transformed it into both a source of income and a home. He lives there with his wife, Derly, and their son, while his daughter, granddaughter, and son-in-law live nearby. San Jose has become a place of continuity, where coffee supports not only livelihoods but also a way of life.

He began planting Pink Bourbon and later added Caturra, motivated by the potential of specialty coffee. What started as a financial strategy quickly developed into a commitment to quality. Today, every stage, from seed selection to harvesting, is managed with precision.

He coordinates a team of three permanent employees and up to 15 seasonal workers during peak periods, maintaining direct involvement throughout the harvest cycle.

San Jose Farm covers 8 hectares and is home to approximately 32,000 coffee trees, shaded by banana plants and fruit trees. The farm is located at an altitude of 1,850 meters, benefiting from fertile soils and a cool microclimate that favors the slow development of the coffee cherries.

Fernely oversees all cultivation practices and serves on the local community council, helping connect coffee farming with broader community development.

The cherries are selectively hand-picked at peak ripeness and then floated to remove defective fruit. After dry depulping, the coffee is fermented in tiled concrete tanks for two to three days. The parchment is manually stirred several times to ensure uniform fermentation.

Once fermentation is complete, the coffee is thoroughly washed with clean water and dried on raised beds for 10–12 days.

About Caturra

Caturra is a coffee variety known for its short, compact stature and is a natural mutation of the Bourbon variety. It was first discovered in Minas Gerais, Brazil, around 1915.

The variety resulted from a single-gene mutation of Bourbon, which made the plant smaller while allowing it to remain productive. As it spread, Caturra enabled coffee to be cultivated at higher planting densities.

As a direct descendant of Bourbon, Caturra is well known for its delicate and complex flavors, often displaying floral and fruity characteristics. At the same time, its close genetic relationship with Bourbon makes it highly susceptible to coffee leaf rust (CLR) and other common coffee diseases and pests.

As a result, Caturra was later crossed with CLR-resistant hybrids from East Timor, leading to the development of Catimor and its subsequent varieties.