With loads of juicy strawberry and floral notes reminiscent of coffee blossoms in the cup, La Claudina Natural is a gorgeous example of why people keep coming back to Colombian coffees-- and in particular naturally processed ones.
This one is from Juan Saldarriaga, a coffee farmer, exporter and consultant from Bolivar in Antioquia. He has two farms just outside Bolivar, El Encanto and La Claudina. This is our first time buying from Juan and our first time buying from Nordic Approach who import his coffees.
Juan Saldarriaga and his farm manager William Laverde have done an amazing job over the years of refining their drying of naturals by using cold mechanical dryers similar to those used for drying fruit such as apricots. The common misconception with mechanical drying is that it produces coffees that age badly, but quick aging related to drying is actually usually due to poor/aggressive drying practices. Saldarriaga and Laverde have developed a very precise and measured approach to using the mechanical dryers that mimics the intermittent drying you would get from ideal weather. The results year on year show that these coffees in fact age more slowly than a lot of other coffees!
Juan Saldarriaga is a well known figure in Bolivar. He has a coffee lab just off the main square where he cups samples from producers and advises them on improving their coffee, and he exports coffees from lots of producers, allowing them access to international and specialty markets. We're excited to be working with him!
Elevation: 1400-1600 Meters Above Sea Level
Varietal: Castillo, Colombia
Cup score: 88
Price paid per kg: £10.44
Process: Fully natural in mechanical cold dryers
