Colombia La Indonesia by Frank Torres
Tastes: Maraschino, floral, sweet
Variety: Caturra
Region: Nariño
Process: Honey
Altitude: 1750-1850 m
Importer: Apex Coffee Imports
We created the Gold Reserve program in 2021 to highlight the rare, exceptional single origin coffees we have the privilege of roasting. We meticulously select the best specialty coffee for each single origin release and these represent the best of the best… And we make a fancy gold label for them so you know that 😉
La Indonesia is located in La Union, 90km from Pasto. Thanks to the efforts of farmers like Frank, this area has been transformed from one of illicit trade and violence, into a resilient community dedicated to growing specialty coffee. This farm is a Torres family inheritance known for exceptional coffee production for over 40 years. Frank has inherited a part of this farm and is in charge of overseeing all processing and farming practices. He is a Q grader who has been passionate about coffee ever since he was young. He started his coffee career by working for Starbucks' specialty coffee program, as well as a green coffee buyer for exporters and importers. This network of experience has helped him push the boundaries of processing, making his farm one of the most unique, and innovative in Colombia. His continuous efforts to improve farming practices has helped him turn 90% of his farm organic as way to preserve soil conditions and protect his crops from plague and devastation. His continuous efforts to advance his post-harvest techniques is evident in the outstanding clarity and sweetness of this year's harvest.
Harvested cherries are measured for their sugar content, ensuring a reading of 22 degrees Brix is reached before picking. Selected ripe cherries are floated in water to remove defects before being washed with a mixture of water and alcohol. The cherries are then put into food-grade plastic tanks where they undergo a period of fermentation for 100–120 hours. Afterwards, the cherries are rinsed with clean water and alcohol and dried for approximately 20 days on covered patios until the humidity level reaches 10-11%.
In the words of the producer, Frank Torres: "I enjoy experimenting with processing and finding exotic and perfectly layered flavors in coffee, but I
have learned over the years that the successful experiment is the one that you can repeat which means to understand each step and make it efficient. The rest is a matter of taste preferences. Indeed, there is nothing like a perfectly balanced, bright and sweet coffee that stands out for unique flavors brought by a complexity of the terroir and genetics of the variety with a bit of care and knowledge into the processing."