Saint Henri - Fidencio Castillo

Particularities

Here, the cherries are first fermented for 48 hours as whole fruit, adding extra acidity to the coffee. They are then pulped and fermented for a further 24 hours, before being left to dry for 18 to 22 days on raised patios. It is this process that gives the coffee its complexity once in the cup.

History

Finca El Pedregal was one of the first to produce coffee in the municipality of Arboleda. Most residents were initially skeptical about the idea of growing coffee, given the low temperatures the region can experience. Despite this, the farm's location, close to a stream and the surrounding vegetation, made it an ideal place to produce top-flight coffee. Today, Fidencio runs the farm, which now boasts over 20,000 coffee trees. Under his influence, three of his daughters have gone on to study agronomy and food preparation. Today, the family's ambitions have led to new coffee processing techniques, enabling them to produce unique, high-quality batches. One of his daughters, Francy Castillo, in conjunction with her partner Frank Torres, is helping our import partner Apex Coffee to forge links with producers in the region.