Suyusama Washed

A round brew with aromas of red grape, clementine, and roasted hazelnut. We found notes of sangria and marshmallow in the cup, accompanied by pomelo acidity and milk chocolatey sweetness. The finish features Brazil nut and a touch of lemon thyme.

Details

Producer: The Suyusama Program and Villa Loyola Farm: Smallholders Region: Nariño Altitude: 1,800-1,900 masl Varietal: Castillo, Caturra, Colombia Process: Washed Roast: Light Notes: Sangria, Pomelo, Brazil Nut

The Story

This round, layered single-origin was previously featured as our Holiday Bean. “Suyusama” means "beautiful place" in Quechua, the language of the Indigenous Peoples of the Central Andes in South America.

Direct Trade

The Suyusama Program was founded in 2004 by our Direct Trade partners at Villa Loyola to promote participatory management processes for local and regional sustainability. The program educates participating farmers in methods of organic agriculture, coffee processing, and understanding the value of their crop.

Alongside these skills, Suyusama also strives to improve the sustainability of the Nariño region by focusing on five areas of impact: political, economic, social, cultural, and environmental. They focus on the region's most pressing concerns of the moment, such as food security, education, water accessibility, and cultural heritage.

The importance of Suyusama’s goals were highlighted during the COVID-19 pandemic. As lockdowns and supply chain issues limited remote farmers' and their families' access to food and supplies, food security became a growing concern. Farmers who had participated in Suyusama’s educational programs were able to pivot agricultural production on their own farms to address shortages, and could share their training with others in their local community. Accessibility to meat was severely limited during lockdowns, leading farmers to begin raising their own chickens for personal consumption, and to sell the excess as a way to generate revenue.

The Suyusama Washed, sourced from the Nariño region of Colombia, represents a collaborative effort between the Suyusama Program and Villa Loyola. Grown at elevations between 1800 and 1900 masl, this lot undergoes a washed process, a method typically employed to highlight the inherent clarity and acidity of the bean. Roasted by PT's Coffee Roasting, the profile features distinct notes of sangria, pomelo, and Brazil nut.

When exploring such profiles, it is helpful to reference the flavor wheel to better categorize these specific sensory experiences. While washed coffees are often celebrated for their clean, vibrant acidity, the final cup character is always a reflection of the unique terroir found in high-altitude regions like Nariño. This particular selection offers a balanced intersection of bright citrus tones and grounding nuttiness, showcasing the meticulous work of the producers involved in the Suyusama Program.