Day 12 | Colombia Inmaculada Sudan Rume

La Inmaculada, a world champion coffee farm, is known not only as a producer of rare varietals but by their precise processing methods and strict quality control measures. The farm was established by the Holguín-Ramos family in 2010 with a focus on specialty coffee production. Their goals were to give back to their local home community (with programs like their Fellow's farm project) and to help preserve their beautiful natural environment.

The farm is run with a focus on natural biodynamic agriculture. This means completely abandoning synthetic fertilization and all types of agrochemicals, thus respecting the ecosystem. Each coffee must maintain strict growing conditions and must be accompanied by forests and vegetation that protect and allow the product to retain the best natural properties of this land.

Grown in the heart of the Andes mountains, La Inmaculada is located in the high elevation town of Pichindé, Colombia. The whole area is surrounded by the wild lush beauty and biodiversity of the Farallones de Cali Natural Park. The rivers that flow down from the national park, spread out to create a region of unparalleled abundance and fertility.

The farm is planted exclusively with unique and exotic varieties. In addition to Sudan Rume, they also grow Gesha, Laurina, Bourbons, and the species called Eugeniodes. Sudan Rume is a rare landrace varietal (of the Bourbon family) that originated in Sudan. It is very expensive to grow due to extremely low yields, but it is immune to coffee rust. It is known for its particularly flowery and complex flavor profile.

This natural anaerobic coffee is fully traceable from farm to cup. Perfectly ripe cherries are harvested, sorted, and put in sealed containers with their skin and mucilage in-tact. They are allowed to ferment in this low oxygen environment. After a set number of hours, the cherries are moved to and spread out on raised beds to dry for 22 days.