Colombia - Juan Martin

Background

It was a privilege for us to finally visit the Banexport team in person last year in Colombia, and to cup ultra-fresh harvests from Cauca and Huila with them. This coffee was one of 3 that we decided to purchase for its outstanding performance on the table. We were so happy to know that it was from Banexport’s farm, Finca Juan Martin, named after the first child of Banexport founder, Julian Ruiz and his wife Sara Porras.

Juan Martin was founded in 2018 as an initiative to learn, improve and share farming knowledge and experience with fellow coffee producers across Colombia. At the farm, each coffee variety is planted with care and rigorous evaluation to achieve high quality cups; huge efforts are taken for environmental sustainability such as the installation of a photovoltaic system to reduce carbon footprint; and conscious steps are practiced for employee support and a safe working environment.

Juan Martin is located at a high altitude of 2050 metres above sea level, where coffee cherries take a slower time to ripen and the low temperatures make it difficult for pests and diseases to thrive. For this particular geisha, the coffee cherries were placed in a bioreactor for 36 hours, in a highly controlled fermentation environment. This process minimises the production of organic acids while promoting the development of positive aromatic precursors. The coffee is then washed 3 times before drying in a solar dryer.