Javier Burbano, Washed Tabi, Colombia
Origin: El Roble, San Agustin, Huila, Colombia
Producer: Don Javier Burbano
Farm: El Meson (1 Hectare )
Process: Washed
Varieties: Tabi
Elevation: 2,020 masl
Importer: Semilla & Monkaaba
Roast: Medium-light
Notes: Blackberry, Grape Jam, Floral, Whipping Cream
Farmgate paid to Javier via Monkaaba - $3,000,000.00 Colombian Pesos / Carga (125kg parchment coffee)
Semilla’s FOB price : $4.25USD/lb exportable green coffee
our price - $5.95 USD/lb + shipping etc.
Don Javier Burbano :
Another beautiful coffee from San Agustin via the Monkaaba crew. Though we didn't get a chance to visit Javier's farm during our time in Colombia, we were super excited to have his coffee sampled to us.
Javier is born and raised in San Agustin, the 6th of 11 siblings, he worked on the land alongside his father and siblings, learning quickly the ins and outs of growing coffee. Like many young people working in hard labour, he felt more a sense of duty to complete his tasks, though he wished to do other things.
At the age of 17 he looked for further independence, seeking out work on neighbouring farms, though never fully leaving coffee production. He began his first farm began with 500 Típica trees, though they were all lost in a landslide. He was undeterred, and replanted with 1,000 Caturra trees, cementing his steps towards independently growing his own coffee.
At this time he only sold his soaked cherry to local buyers, bringing his coffee down the mountain side on horseback. Much of this would have been before the days of specialty coffee, and most coffee was just traded as a commodity.
Now, settled in El Roble, at 62 years old Don Javier runs a small farm of 1,100 Tabi with his wife, where they proudly processes the cherry down to dry parchment, and are able to sell at a high price to the specialty market under Javier's name.
Following in his footsteps, Javier's children, Carolina and Julián, also grow coffee and work directly with Monkaaba, continuing the legacy of the Burbano name.
Processing - Cherries are collected every 3 weeks, and it is pulped with the next day’s cherries. Then it undergoes a 72-hour fermentation in sealed plastic bags. The seeds are then rinsed, and the coffee is moved to the dryer in the municipality of El Tambor, where the coffee is dried for 15 days.
This coffee is tasting big and juicy, with lots of blackberry and purple grapey sweetness. Big bodied and smooth, with lots of poppy florals on the nose.
Happy Sippin'!