Hernando Chantre
Floral aroma, honey sweetness, and a buttery mouthfeel with a bright orange acidity and rich notes of brown sugar, blackcurrant, plum, nougat, and tea rose.
Hernando Chantre has been a coffee farmer his entire life. His farm, ‘La Fortuna’, is located 1,950 metres above sea level, in the famous coffee-producing region of Huila. The altitude, combined with the unique microclimate of the region, provide Hernando with the perfect conditions to produce exceptional coffee. But with only three hectares of coffee, and with limited access to specialty markets, Hernando and his neighbours historically had to sell coffee for low prices to the local cooperative.
In 2013, members of the large cooperative to which Hernando belonged in remote Huila realised that their location, expertise, and passion for coffee gave them a unique edge in high-quality production. A small group of 20 farmers broke off from the cooperative to establish their own organisation, named Aprocoagrosh.
As of March 2015, Aprocoagrosh had grown to include 30 growers. Most of these producers live in the town of La Plata (at 1,000 metres above sea level), but their farms are typcially located about an hour or more up steep mountains that surround the town centre, at an average altitude of 1,900 metres above sea level.
Once Aprocoagrosh established its organisation, it very quickly sought the advice and consultation of ASORCAFE, a specialty-focused growers’ association based in Inzá, Cauca. Aprocoagrosh has since worked with ASORCAFE to gain training and learn more about governance, management, and quality production best practices. This has inspired and enabled Chantre to exercise more control over his coffee processing and improve the quality of his output. Chantre now dries his own coffee and takes great care with processing, armed with the knowledge that he will be able to secure premium prices for his exceptional coffee. This has helped improve the livelihood and quality of life of his family and guaranteed a more sustainable future for his four young children whom he hopes will continue farming coffee into the next generation.
PROCESSING AT LA FORTUNA
Hernando Chantre’s farm is so small that often two days of pickings are combined into one lot. Each day’s picking is pulped separately; the second day’s pickings are added to the first after 24 hours fermentation. The coffee is then left to ferment in the tanks for a further 24 hours. In this method, the second batch raises the pH level within the tank, permitting longer fermentation times. This process is common among small producers throughout Huila and Antioquia. After 48 hours of fermentation the coffee is carefully dried on parabolic beds. When monitored correctly and with attention to detail (such as this lot from Hernando) the result is a distinctive, even, complex, and delicious fruit-forward cup. We hope you enjoy this coffee!
