Producer: Armando Benavides Portilla
Farm: Finca Santa Maria
Region: Nariño
Altitude: 1,850 masl | 6,069 feet
Varietal: Caturra
Process: Washed
Roast: Medium-Dark
Notes: Candied Almond, Baked Apple, Nutmeg

Long hours of sunlight and hot springs allow Finca Santa Maria's coffees to grow at higher, colder altitudes, resulting in a coffee we value for its dense sweetness and lively acidity. These characteristics make it a great candidate for longer roast development—emphasizing sweetness, bringing out richer aromas, and taming acidity.

This darker roast is a great option for cold brew, a French press, or an automatic drip coffee maker.

Finca Santa Maria's original owners set goals with clear technical concepts on how to grow their Caturra variety to produce the best results. They took steps to make their farm environmentally sound, incorporating a shade canopy to maintain a natural balance between flora and fauna. Sustainable farming techniques and soil conservation initiatives have produced amazing results since Armando Benavides Portilla took ownership of the farm in the 1990s.

Since 2020, Armando has shifted processing to his friend Huber Castillo's wet mill at Finca El Paseo, where Huber has produced consistent lots and had great success with processing experiments. After being washed, the coffee is transported to Armando’s home in nearby Buesaco. While it’s unusual to see coffee dried away from the farm or wet mill, drying the coffee at Armando’s primary residence means he can keep a watchful eye on progress and make adjustments at a moment's notice. If humidity rises dramatically, or an unexpected storm occurs, the drying rooms can be closed to prevent fluctuations in the process.

Get a peek of the farm in this video from our 2020 visit: