The team at SKN, our sister company in Colombia, cupped through hundreds of samples at the San Jose mill in Neiva to build this regional blend that’s bright, creamy and sweet.
Around Huila, several purchasing agencies meticulously control each purchase to guarantee traceability and quality. Small farms here are mostly planted with Caturra, and processing is very traditional. Producers use hand-cranked de-pulping machines to remove the cherry from the beans and dry the coffee on raised beds to provide good air circulation and even drying.
SKN has 16 agronomists who work with 4,000-plus producers and are increasingly emphasizing cup quality.
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: Bright, winey acidity, creamy body, sweet and nutty; dark chocolate, plum, molasses, vanilla, peach.
