Flavor profile: Dried fruit, chocolate, and cane sugar

Brewing Method: (Quick) filter, French press, iced, and slow.

Certifications: Organic, Rainforest Alliance.

Meet the coffee farmers:
Coffee Farmers: 7 farmers in the Santander region Coffee: Colombia Organic, 100% organic, certified organic Plantations: Individual plantations around San Gil Location: Santander region, Colombia

What’s changing:
For years, you’ve known our Colombia Organic espresso and filter coffee under the name Kachalú. This name is being phased out, and there’s a specific reason for that. The cooperative of about 60 farmers we worked with has disbanded due to stricter regulations surrounding organic certification. Larger farms were required to be certified separately, and a dispute arose over the use of the name “Kachalú” itself. The smaller farmers have joined another, larger organic group. The larger farmers, who already supplied a significant portion of our coffee, have continued independently. Because the composition of the cooperative has thus changed permanently, “Kachalú” will no longer appear on our packaging. This ensures that our label remains an accurate representation of where our coffee comes from.

What hasn’t changed is the partnership itself. In Santander, we’re still working with the same group: seven farmers who grow organic coffee out of a deep-seated personal conviction. Their coffee farms are Rainforest Alliance-certified, and through our long-standing partnership with the National Federation of Colombian Coffee Growers (FNC), they receive fair compensation for the quality of their coffee and their years of dedication. In addition, we’ve brew up our own bonus system (video) with this group for producing coffee of 85+ and 86+ quality.

At an elevation of 1,400 to 1,800 meters in the lush hills of Santander, you won’t find neatly organized farmland, but rather something that comes closest to a jungle. Dense vegetation and tall shade trees protect the coffee plants from the harsh sun and drought. An orchestra of bird songs echoes through the branches: more than a hundred unique bird species have made their home here. Chicken manure is the primary source of fertilizer for the soil. In addition, the farmers process the coffee cherries themselves into fertilizer using a special process.

Amid this vegetation, the coffee bushes are surrounded by wild plants, insects, and soil that has never been treated with chemical fertilizers, pesticides, or herbicides. The seven farmers each cultivate their own plots of land here, scattered throughout the mountains around San Gil.

This abundance also comes at a price. Organic farming yields about 40% less than non-organic farming, requires four times as much fertilizer, and costs the farmers about twice as much effort. While it would make more financial sense to switch to synthetic fertilizers, these farmers consciously choose not to do so. For them, the plantation is not a means of production, but a piece of land they treat with care, with an eye toward the generations that will come after them.

Downloads:

BOOT Coffee Brew Guide (PDF)