Aley Calderon, Washed, Colombia

Stone fruit, honey, milk chocolate

Producer: Finca Villa Betulia Origin: South Huila, Colombia Varietal: Castillo  Elevation: 1500-1600 masl

About This Coffee

Aley Calderon is a producer from San Adolfo in Acevedo, Huila. After pivoting to specialty coffee in 2021, he began to develop new profiles through honey processing, various fermentation experiments and natural processing, often applying these techniques with the Pink Bourbon variety. This castillo and colombia blend is washed with a double fermentation, once in cherry and another after pulping. 

The Region

Acevedo is a Colombian municipality located in the southeastern part of the Huila department, in the foothills of the Eastern Mountain Range and the Serranía de la Ceja. It is one of Huila’s most important municipalities due to its strong economic development driven by agricultural and commercial activities. Coffee, in particular, has gained significant recognition thanks to the high quality consistently achieved by its smallholder producers.

The Huila region is well known for its coffee quality, but also for being the first historical department in Colombia to begin coffee production. Farmers in Huila are very quality-conscious. Their crops receive a lot of care and attention and they tend to be the most pioneering when it comes to embracing new processing and farming methods. The most relevant municipalities for coffee in Huila are: Pitalito, Garzón, Gigante, San Agustín, La Plata, Paicol, Acevedo, among others.

Huila coffee represents 18% of Colombian production. It is always in high demand and is often preferred as a single origin offering for its balance of acidity and sweetness. The Huilan landscape is dominated by volcanos and mountains, providing a rich terroir of high altitude and fertile soils and offering a wide range of ecosystems where coffee can be grown. There are producing farms ranging from 1,500 masl up to 2,300 masl, conferring great attributes to the cup profile such as bright acidity and characteristic sweet notes.

The Process

Coffee cherries are selectively harvested once optimally ripe. The cherries are then washed in tanks and fermented for 8 hours. They are then mecahnically de-pulped and then fermented for a further 24 hours to break down the remaining mucilage. The coffee is thoroughly washed and then dried in a parabolic greenhouse to 11-12% humidity.

Produced by Finca Villa Betulia in the South Huila region of Colombia, this lot from Outpost Coffee showcases the potential of the Castillo varietal when meticulously cultivated. Grown between 1500 and 1600 masl, the coffee undergoes a washed process, a method often favored for highlighting a clean, bright acidity and refined sweetness. In the cup, this specific selection presents a balanced profile of stone fruit, honey, and milk chocolate.

While flavor profiles are influenced by a complex interplay of terroir and processing, washed coffees are frequently celebrated for their clarity and ability to express the inherent characteristics of the bean. For those looking to further explore the nuances of their brew, referencing a flavor wheel can be a helpful tool in identifying the subtle transitions between these fruit-forward and sugary notes. This offering serves as a classic example of the consistent quality emerging from the Huila department.