RODRIGO SANCHEZ
Passion Fruit

Rodrigo Sanchez Valencia is a third-generation coffee farmer at Finca Monteblanco. His grandfather began cultivating coffee here several decades ago and today, Rodrigo works to preserve the natural diversity and productivity of the farm.

Finca Monteblanco is located near Cueva de los Guacharos, one of the 59 protected parks in Colombia. The Suaza river also runs nearby and provides fresh water for cultivation and processing.

Rodrigo cultivates Caturra, Geisha, Pink Bourbon and Pacamara varieties on Finca Monteblanco. The high altitude and superb microclimate of Acevedo, Huila creates the ideal conditions for cultivating specialty coffees.

Cherry is selectively handpicked and delivered to the on-site wet mill.

Before processing cherry, Rodrigo combines a mixture of lactobacillus, saccharomyses and cerevisiae bacteria for a total of 10 different yeasts to cherry to promote fermentation. Rodrigo also added passionfruit and cholupa, a sour fruit often used to make a form of lemonade to this mixture to add additional flavor. Finally, he adds a sugar-rich mixture to feed fermentation, such as molasses, panela or granulated sugar. The mixture is sealed and fermented for 8 days.

Once picked, cherry is pulped and coffee is added to the fermented fruit mixture. Coffee ferments for an additional 180 hours (7.5 days).

Following fermentation, parchment is washed in clean water and laid in parabolic beds to dry. Parchment is raked frequently to ensure even drying. It takes approximately 20 to 25 days for parchment to dry.