Oscar Hernandez - Grand Reserve DRD

MEET THE PRODUCER | Established by patriarch Ricardo Hernández in 1952, Los Nogales is a storied coffee farm located on the hills of Pitalito. Here, the Hernandez family have spent decades striving to combine tradition with innovation in order to produce some of the best specialty coffee in Huila. Ricardo and his wife, Concepción, welcomed eight children in that very countryside while building their dream—but it was the baby of the family, Ricaurte Hernández, who stood out as the one destined to take over the family business. Ricaurte was a born entrepreneur, in love with the land and obsessed with innovation. Together with his wife, Suldery, he set about building a bonafide coffee empire in Huila—one he hoped his own children would love and shepherd someday.

Today, the farm is stewarded by Oscar Hernández, a third generation producer who is following in his grandfather's footsteps and championing his father's efforts. Like his dad, Oscar remains dedicated to modernization and innovative processing techniques. His own background in environmental management has led Oscar to emphasize sustainable farming practices at Los Nogales as well, helping to transform the farm into a modern, sustainable coffee powerhouse that will stand ready for the next generation of capable Hernández hands.

TRUST THE PROCESS | Originally coined by the Hartman family in Panama about 10 years ago, DRD stands for “dark-room dried,” and it refers to the process of drying coffee very slowly in a UV-free environment, often with tight temperature and humidity controls. The result is a naturally processed coffee that could almost be mistaken for a washed lot at the cupping table, and it’s quite an impressive feat for the funk masters at Nogales!

TAKE A SIP | Boasting complex florals and a vibrant acidity, this coffee showcases variety characteristics while keeping the processing influence subtle. You can taste the play between the two as stone fruit, like peaches, and tropical fruit, like pineapple. The finish is long and tea-like, reminding us of oolong.

Origin | Bruselas, Huila, Colombia

Producer | Oscar Hernández

Farm | Los Nogales

Process | Cold Room Natural

Variety | Gesha

Elevation | 1750 MASL

Produced by Oscar Hernández in the Bruselas region of Colombia · Bruselas, Huila, this Grand Reserve DRD lot showcases the meticulous approach of Black & White Coffee Roasters. The coffee features the Gesha varietal, which is widely celebrated in the specialty industry for its distinct floral aromatics and tea-like clarity. This specific harvest undergoes a cold room natural process, a specialized technique that falls under the broader umbrella of processing methods designed to manipulate fermentation environments to influence the final cup profile.

While natural-processed coffees often exhibit heavier fruit-forward characteristics, the cold room application aims to refine these qualities. When evaluating the complex interplay of stone fruit, peach, tropical pineapple, and oolong notes present in this lot, drinkers may find it helpful to reference a flavor wheel to better categorize the nuanced acidity and sweetness inherent in this high-elevation Colombian harvest.