Colombia Cauca At'e

A´TE means the "spirit of the moon" and the farmers named this coffee to represent the magic of the culture of the communities here in Cauca -- an area with difficult access, surrounded by enormous mountains and located in the central mountain range.

Colombia is making great strides in traceability, quality, and responsible farming. Colombian coffee beans -- the really good lots -- tend to get lost amongst the millions of bags of ordinary beans, and the small farmers are doing what they can to stand out when they really have a good harvest like this one.

My favorite roast of this is just at verge of 2nd cracks, not quite yet there. It's a smooth full flavored coffee with a lot going on in it, namely undertones of orange and a little cocoa. In lighter roasts we note tastes of grape and apple, sweet chocolate, and no bitterness, but the lighter roasts have thinner body and I find it less satisfying. Take it just to 2nd cracks, and you get smooth, creamy mouthfeel. Very little acidity, slight fruit. Nothing too crazy, but very drinkable, as I sit here writing about it, I keep subconsciously draining my mug and reaching for a refill. If in doubt as to when to let the beans dump, lean towards a slightly lighter roast as opposed to a slightly darker one, so you don't lose the fruit notes rarely found in a South American bean.

US Arrival December 2019