The city of Popayán is the capital of the state of Cauca, in the southern half of Colombia. The surrounding coffee region is on the plateau where the Andes mountain range reaches southern Colombia from Ecuador. From there, the Andes breaks into the three separate mountain ranges (or, cordilleras) that cross the country from south to north.
The Cauca and Popayan plateau is at an average of 1,600 meters above sea level and includes the neighboring Purace volcano (pictured above), which has over time has produced the region’s rich soil.
Coffee farms in the region are usually smaller than 5 hectares. The region is also home to several indigenous groups that have been growing coffee for decades.
There are two rainy seasons that produce a main crop and a mid crop — or mitaca — guaranteeing fresh coffee year round. The main crop is between April and December, and the somewhat smaller mid crop is between December and January. All cherries are handpicked and then pulped and washed on the farms. The dry parchment is then sold to a dry mill that arranges the selection and export.
Coffees from near Popayán — as a result of the area’s soil conditions, altitude and washed processing — generally have a very nice aroma, a medium acidity and a medium body. These features combine to present a pleasant, sweet, chocolate aftertaste.
Excelso vs. Supremo
“Excelso” is a grading term for exportable coffee from Colombia, not related to variety or cupping profile. EP (European Preparation) specifies that the raw beans are all hand sorted to remove any defective beans and foreign material.
Excelso coffee beans are large, but slightly smaller than Supremo coffee beans. Excelso beans are a screen size of 15-16, versus Supremo beans, which are sized on screen 17. Colombian coffee is graded before shipment according to bean size. Supremo and Excelso coffee beans can be harvested from the same tree, but they are sorted by size. Excelso accounts for the greatest volume of coffee exported from Colombia.
Cupping notes: Chocolate, caramel, nutty; winey acidity, medium body.
