Inga Mystique

Colombia still needs our help as communities recover from the recent earthquake.⁠ ⁠ You can support relief efforts by donating directly to one of the trusted organizations listed here, or by purchasing our September Cause Coffee, Colombia Inga Mystique. $1 from every bag sold will go to Give to Colombia to help support the people and communities impacted.⁠

Colombia’s Nariño department is one of the country’s most striking coffee landscapes. Bordering Ecuador and the Pacific Ocean, it sits near the equator where three Andean mountain ranges come together. The combination of very high elevations, reaching up to 2,500 meters above sea level, and fertile volcanic soils creates exceptional growing conditions for coffee. At night, warm air rises from the deep canyons and acts like a natural thermal blanket. As a result, the coffee cherries mature slowly, the seeds develop a dense structure, and the flavor profiles become remarkably complex.

The region has become a respected center of coffee innovation thanks to the dedication of thousands of smallholder farmers and indigenous communities who have worked these lands for generations. In the Aponteña zone, the Inga indigenous community cultivates coffee on 17,500 hectares of sacred land spread across six vibrant communities. Guided by their ancestral Quichua Inga language and core principles of honesty, dignity, and communal well-being, the Inga people see coffee as both a livelihood and a cultural expression.

Nearby in Tablón de Gómez, small farms thrive in a canyon-shaped microclimate. Young coffee trees grow under open skies, supported by natural humidity and wind. Traditional methods are central to production. Cherries are carefully harvested, fermented in tanks for 12 to 24 hours, then pulped and sun-dried for 12 to 15 days.

Each year, the community produces about 300 tons of coffee, a reflection of their skill, stewardship, and intergenerational knowledge. Inga Mystique embodies this spirit, offering a taste of Nariño’s extraordinary terroir, ancestral traditions, and the deep connection between people and land.

The Inga Mystique, sourced by Bird Rock Coffee Roasters, represents a unique collaboration with the Inga indigenous community in the Nariño region of Colombia. This coffee is processed using the washed method, a technique that typically emphasizes the inherent clarity and acidity of the bean by removing the fruit flesh before drying. Understanding the nuances of this preparation can be helpful when navigating the flavor wheel to identify specific profiles.

Washed coffees are often celebrated for their clean, vibrant character, which allows the terroir of high-altitude regions like Nariño to shine through clearly. By stripping away the mucilage early in the processing methods, producers ensure that the final cup focuses on the bean's structural integrity and brightness. This specific lot highlights the dedication of the Inga producers, offering a refined expression of their traditional cultivation practices within one of the country's most distinct coffee-growing landscapes.