Colombia Wilder Filter

Tasting notes: Dark chocolate, cherry, elderflower, nougat.

Coffee breakdown:
Country: Colombia
Variety: Castillo, Caturra, Gesha, SL 28, Variedad Colombia
Process: Honey
Altitude: 1810 masl

Small Batch has long loved buying coffee in Nariño, which is geographically, climatically and culturally very distinct from neighboring states, and the cup profiles are no less unique. Last year, Small Batch developed new relationships around the town of Buesaco, which is how they met Wilder Santacruz. Wilder comes from a coffee producing family (his father placed in the Cup of Excellence competition in 2012), but Wilder himself worked in business administration because coffee didn’t interest him. But in 2010, the farm next to his father’s was put up for sale, and Wilder purchased it to have some land of his own, though his father managed the coffee on that land for a while. In 2019, Wilder decided to join his father and learn more about coffee production, and with his business development background, he was especially interested in creating a differentiated product and creating lasting business relationships. Today, he says that he’s proud of what they’ve accomplished in coffee, connecting with international buyers, and learning how to be consistent with their quality.

Wilder manages two plots with coffee, one in Buesaquito, and one in Páramo Bajo outside of Aponte. His plot starts at 1810 masl, and the high elevation keeps temperatures cool with plenty of humidity. The high elevation also keeps pests and plagues at bay. He has 28,000 trees on this plot. He employs between 25 and 30 workers to help manage the farm, especially during harvest season from April to July. This year, late flowering and then subsequent rain delayed the ripening of the crop, which delayed the overall harvest season. In the last year, Wilder has made some improvements to the processing infrastructure on his farm. He covered the fermentation tank with a stainless steel sheet that maintains the tank’s temperature and allows for more efficient cleaning. Additionally, they installed a cylindrical sieve onto the pulper, which helps to remove under-ripe cherries.