Colombia Luz Helena Salazar Espresso

Tasting notes: Red apple, strawberry, lime and toffee.

Coffee breakdown:
Origin: Finca Maracay, Quindio, Colombia
Variety: Caturra
Process: Washed
Producer: Luz Helena Salazar
Altitude: 1500 m

Luz Helena Salazar’s coffee is a beautiful expression of dedication and expertise. Inspired by her husband Jairo Arcila, an experienced coffee farmer and dry mill manager, Luz began her own coffee journey over 20 years ago. Today, she grows coffee on her 8-hectare farm, La Leona, located at 1,500 metres above sea level in the renowned coffee-growing region of Quindío. The farm's rich volcanic ash soil and ideal microclimate make it perfect for producing high-quality coffee.

With guidance from Jairo and ongoing support from Cofinet Padre's Colombian sourcing partner, co-founded by her sons Carlos and Felipe Luz has focused her energy on refining every step of the farming and processing journey. Her work is now centred on specialty coffee, and her cherries are processed at Cofinet’s La Pradera station using carefully honed techniques.

This microlot, made up entirely of the Caturra variety, is harvested following strict ripeness criteria. The cherries are floated and hand-sorted to remove defects, then undergo a 30-hour underwater fermentation before being pulped. The parchment is gently washed and dried under controlled temperatures to achieve perfect moisture content.

The result is a clean, juicy cup with bright strawberry and lime notes, balanced by smooth toffee sweetness and a sparkling red apple acidity.

Now in its third year with Padre, they’re incredibly proud to showcase Luz Helena’s coffee once again and we hope you enjoy it as much as we do.