Origin: La Plata, Huila, Colombia
Roast: Filter - light roast
Flavour Profile: Crisp apple, jasmine, citrus. Light and sweet.
Process: Washed
Varieties: Caturra, Colombia, Castillo
Farmers: Smallholders from La Plata
Altitude: 1,400 - 2,000 metres above sea level
Importer: Caravela
San Sebastián is the old parish name for La Plata, a town in Huila in Colombia's south west, and it's the name given to this lot purchased from the growers around it. Those growers belong to Global Cafés, an association of just over a hundred small and medium producers spread across La Plata and a few neighbouring municipalities on the Huila and Cauca border, most farming somewhere between one and five hectares of traditional varieties. Caravela has worked with the group for over ten years, and rather than buying blind it set up a cupping lab in town with a full-time quality analyst who works alongside the members. Every delivery, however small, is graded and cupped, and only the lots that fit the San Sebastián profile go into it. The farmers do the rest: picking by hand, washing, and drying in the sun.
Whole beans or pre-ground?
Coffee deteriorates much faster once it is ground, making whole beans the ideal way to purchase coffee. If you don't have a grinder though, all good!
Grind Guide
Whole Beans - not ground, you have your own grinder
Commercial Espresso - very fine for a commercial espresso machine
Home Espresso - quite fine for a domestic espresso machine
Stovetop - fine for percolator / moka pot
Aeropress - medium for Aeropress
Pour Over - medium for pour over
Plunger - coarse for plunger / french press
Batch Brewer - very coarse for Moccamaster and other batch brewers
Making coffee at home
Follow this guide to ensure you're using the same ratios and standards as we do at Patricia
