Colombia - Finca Milan - Caturra Nitro Fermentation Washed

Colombia - Finca Milan - Caturra Nitro Fermentation WashedFinca Milan Caturra Nitro Fermentation Washed Country: ColombiaRegion: RisaraldaFarm: Finca MilnProducer: Julio Cesar MadridProcess: Nitro Fermentation WashedVariety: CaturraElevation: 1600 metersHarvest: SeptemberNovemberTasting Notes: Watermelon Jolly Ranchers, Kiwi, Melon Farm Description: Julio Madrids Finca Miln is in Vereda El Hogar in the municipality of Pereira in Colombia's Risaralda growing region. The farm is near the Los Nevados Natural

Finca Milan Caturra Nitro Fermentation Washed

Country: Colombia
Region: Risaralda
Farm: Finca Milán
Producer: Julio Cesar Madrid
Process: Nitro Fermentation Washed
Variety: Caturra
Elevation: 1600 meters
Harvest: September–November
Tasting Notes: Watermelon Jolly Ranchers, Kiwi, Melon

Farm Description: Julio Madrid’s Finca Milán is in Vereda El Hogar in the municipality of Pereira in Colombia's Risaralda growing region. The farm is near the Los Nevados Natural National Park, a 58,300-hectare reserve that surrounds the northern volcanic complex formed by Nevado del Ruiz volcano. Here, Finca Milan rests 1600 meters above sea level, receiving temperatures year-round of 18–28°C which contributes to the quality climate conditions found on the property, benefiting the many varieties grown on the farm including Castillo, Colombia, Caturra, Catiope, Pink Bourbon and Red Bourbon. Finca Milán is the second largest farm in Café UBA, an alliance of farms in Risaralda which also includes La Riviera and Buenos Aires.
Julio Cesar Madrid Tisnés is a third-generation coffee producer and has dedicated himself to the production of quality coffees. This dedication has led him to focus on producing coffee varieties that are relatively rare in Colombia and are known for their complex cup profiles, including varieties like Sudan Rume, Yirgacheffe, Laurina, and several others. Julio’s daughter, Maria Antonia Madrid, is a biologist who has researched the organoleptic impact of using microbial starter cultures in coffee fermentation, helping Julio to improve his processing methods.

Nitro Fermentation begins with freshly harvested coffee cherries placed in a bag for 10-12 hours to gain rapid increase in temperature. The bacteria present in this environment and on the cherries start breaking carbs into sugars, which increases temperature even more. The coffee is then cooled in a tank with water at 8-10 °C, after which it is de-pulped. The coffee with the mucilage still attached is placed in a plastic barrel for 10-12 hours to allow oxidation. Then, they take the coffee into the sealed bioreactor, adding starter cultures and an injection of nitrogen. During this fermentation process, which takes 4-6 days, the team at Finca Milan constantly monitors the temperature, pH, and Brix to make sure all levels are within their parameters. Once fermentation is complete, the coffee is then washed and sundried for 15-20 days to reach its ideal humidity.With this coffee, they have won the bronze and silver medals, respectively, for two consecutive years at the World Barista Championship. 

Region Description: Risaralda is one of Colombia’s principal coffee growing Departments. Along with neighboring Caldas and Quindío, it forms part of the “coffee axis” or “coffee triangle,” indicating the important coffee activities—from research to social support programs to freeze drying to dry milling—that take place in the area, which is in turn part of the Coffee Cultural Landscape, recognized by UNESCO as a World Coffee Cultural Heritage site. The soils of Risaralda have their origin in igneous rocks and volcanic ash with slopes descending towards the Cauca River, forming a landscape of colorful towns where more than 20.000 smallholder farms and mid-sized estates dedicate themselves to the department’s main agricultural activity: coffee. The main coffee varieties found there include Castillo, Colombia, Caturra, Típica and Tabi. Risaralda is the only Colombian department recognized as a Model Forest, a title given by the International Model Forest Network because of the community management of the areas declared as reserves, combining social, environmental and economic needs of the local communities with long-term and large-scale perspectives on the sustainability of the territory.