Aponte, Colombia - Mixed variety / Washed

PURE – coffees offer a soothing and delicate experience; a cup of coffee you really want snuggle in with. The goal with PURE is to let the flavours of the beans shine through, so in these roasts, you’ll primarily taste the characteristics of bean variety and terroir. PURE coffees will usually be washed processed, with the occasional honey when it fits the profile.

• Region // Northern Narino
• Producers // Aponte local producers
• Varietal(s) // Mixed
• Fermentation // 12-hour in cherry fermentation, 12-hour in sealed tank post depulping.
• Drying method // Washed
• Altitude // 2150 masl
• Flavour notes // Roasted Walnut, Dried Apricot, Molasses

About Aponte lot

Aponte is an Indigenous reservation in El Tablón de Gómez, in northern Nariño, and home to the Inga community. Set along Colombia’s central-eastern mountain range, this region stretches across a wide elevation range and is shaped by steep terrain, volcanic soils, and diverse microclimates. Agriculture is central to daily life here, with coffee grown alongside plantains, legumes, and tubers.

This lot comes through PROCAAL, a partner recognized for thoughtful market access, careful processing, and long-term support of small producers in Colombia. Their work is rooted not only in quality, but in building sustainable systems that support local communities and protect the environment around them.

The project brings together around 200 Inga producers, most working on small family farms of less than one hectare. In Aponte, coffee is not simply a crop. It is part of the community’s rhythm, economy, and generational knowledge. These farms sit on the slopes of the Doña Juana volcano, where mineral-rich soils, high elevation, and consistent equatorial light create strong conditions for expressive, high-quality coffee. Fresh water sources, organic-rich land, and varied mountain weather all contribute to a distinct growing environment that gives Aponte coffees their clarity and character.

The coffee is sourced from different rural areas within the Aponte Indigenous reservation, including El Páramo, El Pedregal, Aponte, and La Loma. Traditional varieties such as Caturra, Típica, and Colombia make up the foundation of this profile, while some producers have also begun planting varieties such as Geisha and Pink Bourbon.

Harvest and processing are handled with close attention at the producer level. Cherries are handpicked at peak ripeness, then sorted to remove lower-density fruit through flotation. A first fermentation takes place with the cherries intact for around 12 hours, followed by pulping and a second 12-hour fermentation in sealed tanks with some mucilage remaining. This two-stage fermentation helps build aromatic intensity and layered sweetness while preserving structure in the cup. After washing, the coffee is dried on patios or raised beds for 15 to 25 days, then rested, stored, and moved to a central point for final preparation before export.

For us, coffees like Aponte are compelling because they carry both place and community with clarity. It is a profile shaped by volcanic land, high elevation, and the work of many small producers, but what stands out most is how naturally those elements come together in the cup.