Proyecto Berruecos
PROYECTO BERRUECOS
Nariño, Colombia
ABOUT THE PRODUCERS
Proyecto Berruecos is the kind of grass roots project that makes specialty coffee so special. Historically, the coffee farms near Arboleda, Nariño had no direct access to dry milling or export and farmers had no choice but to travel to the nearest mill and sell their coffee at reduced prices. Despite diligently cultivating high quality coffee and meticulously harvesting and processing their crop, farmers were not able to see an appropriate return for their efforts. Enter Francy Castillo, a local producer who took it upon herself to radically change this reality. Incredibly, Francy set up a buying station right in the centre of town and began offering cash to local farmers for their parchment, grading and paying specialty rates for their coffees.
Jeff Fleming, the founder of Apex Coffee Imports was introduced to Francy Castillo in 2020 by another Nariño producer Frank Torres. As soon as Jeff saw what Francy had created he knew this project was special and wanted to get involved. In the years since that first meeting, Apex Coffee has been investing in Francy’s buying station, facilitating her to purchase more coffee at higher prices. Their team supports the grading and separation of lots into several categories and they help to throw an annual party to celebrate the harvest and invest in the farmers with supplies and infrastructure, like the project to build improved roads and increase farm access.
Francy Castillo has developed a true grass roots initiative that is having deep impacts in the Arboleda community. Nemesis is proud to support Proyecto Berruecos because it represents everything we commit to - equitable, traceable, quality driven coffee that supports the growth of community and culture. This is the first time we are featuring Proyecto Berruecos and we plan to build deeper ties in the future, so stay tuned!
The following are the farmers that contributed to this Proyecto Berruecos lot.
Don Serafin Jesus Erazo Bolaños | Las Julias | caturra
Maria Gloria Quintana Muñoz | El Credo | colombia Uribe Giraldo Diaz | Villa Maria | cattura, colombia
Gilberto Cardenas | La Esperanza | colombia, castillo
Diego Meneses | La Monja | caturra, colombia
Denis Dorado | La Despensa | caturra, castillo, colombia
Maura Leney Cardenas | El Chirimoyo | castillo, colombia
Doña Celina | El Naranjo | mixed
Don Emiliano Popayan | El Porris | caturra, colombia
Don Pedro | El Romboy | mixed
Don Muñoz | El Cabuyal | caturra
Doña Maria Dominica Estrella Gomez | El Higueron | caturra, colombia
ABOUT THE COFFEE
Proyecto Berruecos is a combination of outstanding farms in this area of Nariño, Colombia. Located at very high altitudes ranging from 1800 to 2100 metres above sea level, these farms are ideally located to produce high cup quality. The coffee varieties include caturra, colombia, and castillo, which are all ideal for Colombian cultivation and produce sweet and bright cup profiles. The contributing farmers all work diligently to cultivate, harvest, and process their coffees in a way that highlights the terroir and the natural flavour complexities present in the coffee.
In Colombia it is common for producers to process the coffee down to parchment at the farm and each farmer processes their coffees using their own unique washed method, which makes this blend so complex. Some coffees undergo longer fermentation times, whereas others include an additional period of in-cherry fermentation before depulping. The wide variety of techniques used to process this blend has enhanced the sweet and unique flavour profile, bringing a depth and complexity to the cup.
Finally the coffees are dried on covered patios with an average drying time of 14-18 days.
CUP TASTING NOTES
CITRUS, WILDFLOWER HONEY, TOFFEE
CUP PROFILE
This filter roast presents a balanced and pleasant citrus acidity, like meyer lemon. What’s most prominent in the cup is a deep and complex sweetness that reminds us of wildflower honey and toffee. This translates to a rich and coating mouthfeel. The finish is long, smooth and sweet, with an aftertaste of vanilla wafer.
