ETERNAL LIGHT - Colombia

Colombia, Palestina
Varietal: Yellow Bourbon (80%), Caturra (20%)
Process: Washed
Altitude: 1,400 - 2,200 masl

We have seen a lot of trends in the speciality coffee industry in recent years. One that has been gaining momentum in the last few seasons is the love of Pink Bourbon. It has been seen more and more in competition. The varietal was actually first discovered in 2014 in a village called San Adolfo in Acevedo. It’s popularity in Colombia comes from 3 factors, obviously it has a great cup quality, but it is also a very productive plant and more than that, it is resilient to leaf rust. Palestina, the town this lot comes from is quite close to the origin of Pink Bourbon and therefore was one of the first to embrace the new varietal.

Huila where Palestina lies is also famous for high quality coffees in it’s own right. Not only because of the great terroir but also the hard work of cooperatives in the area pushing the story of their coffee by sending representatives to various worldwide coffee trade shows and festivals. The producers of these coops learned to be great cuppers and are consistently pushing to improve the quality of their harvest year after year. On top of that there are many great education programs for children in the region. If the family can’t afford university for their child can go to courses run by Servicio Nacional de Aprendizale, or SENA. They provide free technical training for various career paths. Coffee courses include coffee production, physical and sensory analysis, roasting and barista skills. This is coupled with an idea of pride in the community with each producer striving to improve each year.