Salutations, Ironclad family! In continuing with our gradual roll-out of seven new single-origin offerings, we now present a delightful, delectable microlot coffee from Colombia, from a women-led family farm in Gaitania, a region in the country’s west-central Tolima department.
Finca Alto de la Cruz, a ten-hectare coffee farm, homestead and food production center, is a collaborative venture of the entire Clavijo family and their friends, with two women, Nelcy and Negrita, in charge of coffee production. Originally from the city of Armenia, about six hours north of Gaitania, the Clavijos brought coffee seedlings with them to Tolima when Nelcy was a child, settling in a region that was and largely remains a remote frontierland. There, in an area that has since seen its fair share of political turmoil and armed insurgency, the Clavijos planted the roots of what since has become a thriving finca, in the midst of a breathtaking mountainous landscape surrounding the Nevado del Huila, a towering volcano whose eruptions are the source of Gaitania’s fertile, nutrient-rich soil.
Nelcy and Negrita at Finca Alto de la Cruz. 
Coffee cherries, in various stages of ripeness, still on the branch. 
Marquesina drying method, on an enclosed mesh floor. 
Images courtesy of DirectOrigin.com.
Grown at an altitude of 1,550 meters above sea level and comprising Caturra & Colombia varietals, this fully-washed coffee has intense, juicy grapefruit acidity, a round, a balanced body, and a satisfyingly complex profile of sweet floral flavors, with notes of sweet mango and hibiscus. Look for it on the shelves at our café, as well as our online catalog, and stay tuned for ensuing releases in this series as we continue to debut this season’s stellar single-origin lineup!
For the Ironclad crew,
Ryan
The post Origins Spotlight: Colombia Alto de la Cruz appeared first on Ironclad Coffee Roasters.