Colombia

Raul Duran

Raul Duran’s farm El Porvenir lies at 1650 metres above sea level, in the southern tip of the Tolima region, right on the border with the famed region of Huila. The closest town is Planadas, where Raul normally delivers his coffee to the local bodega. Raul is now 68 years of age, and has spent most of his life farming coffee. This is indicative of the ageing population of farmers in Colombia, an issue that Raul is acutely aware of. Because of this, Raul has sought to pass down his passion for coffee to his four children, and become involved as guild leader with the Municipal Coffee Growers Committee of Planadas, an organisation of small farmers based around Planadas, working towards greater well-being for farmers, and a secure future for their farms.

Raul’s passion and devotion has paid off in more ways than one. His eldest son, also Raul, along with his wife Astrid Medina, have also inherited a coffee farm, Buena Vista, in the area around Planadas. Astrid also comes from a family of coffee producers, and the farm previously belonged to her father. Raul Jr. has been able to qualify as a veterinarian, and Astrid runs the farm day to day. Astrid is also a very skilled coffee producer, thanks both to her dedication, and the lessons she has learned from both her own and her husband’s families’ years of experience. Both El Porvenir and Buena Vista produce consistently excellent quality coffee, they fetch high prices for their crops, and their names are seen on bags from some of the most revered coffee roasters the world over. The 2015 crop was a particular highlight, where Raul was able to finish 3rd in the Colombian Cup of Excellence, scoring 89 points. This meant a higher price at auction for his coffee, and a more secure future for a now award-winning farm. However, to top it all off, the competition was won by his son and daughter-in-law. Astrid Medina scored 90.2 points, and sold her coffee at auction for a price that broke the record for Tolima. This family and their success has been a big contributor to the Tolima region being taken more seriously for specialty coffee production, having previously sat firmly in the shadow of its famed neighbour, Huila.

This lot specifically is of mixed varietals, mainly Caturra, but with a small amount of Raul’s experimental rust resistant Colombia and Castillo. It was picked by hand in June and July 2018, making sure only the ripest cherries made it into Raul’s wet mill. The coffee is then wet fermented in tanks for 24 hours, and dried on raised beds for 15-20 days, until it reaches an ideal moisture content of 10-12%. This long cool fermentation gives rise to the berry-like acidity, and to the soft body and sweetness. The cleanliness of this coffee is testament to Raul’s decades of experience in coffee, and we are proud to share his work with you.