COLOMBIA Santa Fe – Filter

Magdalena López’s Finca Santa Fe sits high in the mountains of Nariño near the Galeras Volcano and remains the highest coffee farm we work with. Reaching the farm requires a long climb through steep Andean terrain until the landscape opens to Magdalena’s home and drying patios overlooking the valley below.

Above the coffee plots she has preserved the upper part of the mountain as a protected forest reserve called Los Rayos, leaving the forest and water sources untouched. Walking up there during one of our visits, it becomes clear why the farm feels so special. The reserve protects the ecosystem that surrounds the coffee and gives Santa Fe a remarkable sense of place.

The farm is planted primarily with Colombia variety, with a smaller plot of Tabi, grown in mineral rich volcanic soils and within a mixed agricultural system typical for this part of Nariño. Year after year this coffee remains one of the easiest to recognize on the cupping table, even among dozens of samples. It carries a distinct character and structure that consistently places it among the most memorable coffees we taste.

This Colombia varietal coffee comes from Nariño, Colombia's southernmost coffee region, where producer Magdalena López cultivates distinctive microlot coffees. Five Elephant, the Berlin-based specialty roaster, has filter-roasted this lot to highlight the region's characteristic clarity and complexity. Nariño's high elevation and cool climate create conditions favorable for slower fruit development and pronounced acidity, hallmarks the region is known for. This filter preparation emphasizes the coffee's inherent qualities—ideal for those seeking to experience the producer's specific terroir expression without the additional body that natural processing might add.