Alejandro Ariza - Castillo

Producer: Alejandro Ariza
Origin: Inza, Cauca, Colombia
Elevation: 1750 MASL
Variety: Castillo
Process: Washed
Roast Level: Light
Importer: Unblended
Flavor Notes: Tangerine, Tamarind, Milk Chocolate, Silky

We have our second coffee from the homies at Unblended right hear highlighting a producer from their Young Producer Lots, Alejandro Ariza and his lot of Castillo.

As told by Unblended: Alejandro ventured into coffee farming thanks to a family friend, Diego Bermúdez, owner of Finca El Paraíso. Together with his father, an accountant, they explored the potential of coffee from Inzá, a region with a challenging past. Inspired by Diego’s insights, they set up a purchasing point in 2019, and by 2021, bought their own farm, La Argelia. Now, their venture, 1640 Inza Coffee, is a family effort. His father handles purchasing, Alejandro oversees the farm, and his mother leads community programs like embroidery and youth outreach. Focused on improving coffee quality and the community’s future, they cultivate varieties such as Sudan Rume, Maragojipe, and Castillo, aiming to uplift Inzá through coffee.

This lot is led by Alejandro, who has focused on identifying a unique profile in the region, characterized by its floral intensity and creaminess. Alejandro has managed to consolidate a distinctive profile in the region. This area stands out for its exceptional soil, located between three volcanoes: Huila, Sotará, and Puracé. This geography contributes to fertile land with unique attributes, resulting in more aromatic coffees and fruits.

...pretty rad. Alejandro's coffee stood out on the cupping table for me (not knowing what the variety / process or backstory was). Then, after turning the info sheet over and seeing that it was a washed castillo lot with these cup attributes really took me back. The fragrance and aroma of this coffee is incredibly intense and begs to be brewed. In the cup you're hit with a really ripe tangerine acidity backed by a coating tamarind sweetness. The texture of this Castillo lot is also notable, super silky and lends itself into a milk chocolate-sugar browning foundation.

This is one to brew all the ways. Hot, cold, percolation, immersion, spro, etc. Enjoy this lot and we hope to work with Alejandro in future harvests to come!