Producer: Qima Coffee
Region: Acevedo, Huila
Variety: Castillo
Process: Natural
Altitude: 1400 - 1600 masl
Harvested: 2024
 
Cupping notes: Blueberry, blackberry, pineapple, raspberry, caramel, black cherry, and mango.
 
Grown high up in the lush hills of Acevedo, in southern Colombia’s Huila region, this Castillo lot is a reflection of the region’s incredible potential. Huila is one of Colombia’s most celebrated coffee-producing areas, known for its high altitudes, volcanic soils, and diverse microclimates — all of which come together to create the perfect conditions for slow-growing, complex coffees.
 
This coffee was sourced through Qima’s fresh cherry supply chain, a system that focuses on working directly with producers at the cherry level to ensure maximum traceability and quality. Cherries are picked at peak ripeness and sorted with precision before entering a carefully managed natural processing protocol. That includes a submerged fermentation stage lasting 48 to 72 hours, followed by slow drying on African beds. Once the coffee reaches the right stage, it’s finished with a mechanical drying step to stabilise the final moisture content.
 
The variety — Castillo — was developed in Colombia to withstand Coffee Leaf Rust, and while it’s known for its resilience, coffees like this show that it’s capable of so much more. When grown with care and processed with this level of attention, Castillo can produce beautifully clean, structured, and expressive cups.
 
This lot is part of Qima’s Curated Collection, a line focused on naturally processed coffees sourced with intention and transparency, and produced with consistency at origin. Since expanding into Colombia in 2020, Qima has brought the same farmer-first sourcing model they pioneered in Yemen, working with smallholders and local teams to build sustainable, quality-driven supply chains that benefit everyone involved.
 
We’re really happy to be sharing this lot with you — it’s a lovely example of the kind of balance and depth Colombian Castillo can offer when everything goes right.
 
Transparency.
What we paid:
-Coffee: 12.07€/Kg
-Shipping: 0.82€/Kg
-Packaging, labelling and sorting: 2€
Quantity bought: 140 Kg