Las Nubes - Colombia
Colombian coffee is historically known for its rich coffee culture. It has traditionally grown some of the highest quality coffees in South America, and its geography is perfectly suited for amazing brews. When we chose this coffee, it was more or less on a whim. We have great trust in our importers, especially Ally Coffee, and when they allowed us to buy, we jumped on it!
When we received this new coffee we knew it would be especially great on espresso, so when we experimented with the roasting process, our roaster focused on roasting it with a longer development time so that it would be easy to pull shots with, while also making for a great filter.
Coffee Processing and History in Huila, Colombia
Colombia has a rich history in specialty coffee and is well known everywhere that coffee is consumed. Colombian coffee is deeply interconnected with colonization, as in most coffee-producing countries around the world. It was introduced by the Jesuits in the early 18th century and has spread enough over the last several hundred years, creating the third-largest coffee producer in the world today.
Juan Valdez’s impact on Coffee Culture at Large
Juan Valdez is a fictional character used by the National Federation of Coffee Growers of Colombia, representing a Colombian Coffee Farmer. These Advertisements were used to promote 100% Colombian coffee and distinguish it from the lesser quality blends that include coffees from other countries. Juan Valdez is an iconic symbol that embodies Colombian Coffee at large.
Washed Process Coffee
Washed coffees are known for their clean flavor profile. Without digging too deep, a washed coffee traditionally employs water to wash off any mucilage after coffee has been fermented over time. After the mucilage comes off, the coffee is then dried.
Most washed process coffees rely mostly on the flavor of the coffee itself, - The origin, variety, and terroir, with very little impact from the actual processing method.
Huila
Huila is the largest specialty coffee region in Colombia, with many farmers producing Cup of Excellence winning lots. One of our head roaster's favorite coffee is from Huila. The rich soil and high mountains of Huila are nestled along the flank of the Andes near the Nevado del Huila volcano. The climate is ideal for many crops, with coffee being one of them.
Huila coffees are often characterized by bright acidity, strong fruit flavors, and incredible sweetness. They are also known for their lack of bitterness.
About Las Nubes
Finca Las Nubes is a farm located in Agua Negra, just outside of Pitalito. It is a partnership between several incredible coffee professionals:
- Claudia Samboni, owner of several farms as well as the Aromas del Sur dry mill.
- Vicente Mejia, exporter with Clearpath Coffee
- Ricardo Pereira, Ally Coffee
- Mark Trujillo, Coffee roaster and owner of The Hub Coffee Co in Reno Nevada.
This partnership has allowed Las Nubes to focus on quality and sustainability from crop to import.
The farm itself was already chock full of coffee trees but needed attention to get things up to snuff, for specialty production.
Espresso Recipe and Experience
We often roast our coffees for either espresso or filter, with the exception of our Seafarer blend, which is our house coffee that is roasted to be excellent either way. This new coffee, the Las Nubes Washed, is also an omniroast, or roasted with both brewing methods in mind. Our espresso recipe is a pretty standard 1:2 recipe that stands up on its own or with milk for cappuccinos and lattes.
The Recipe
- 20g Las Nubes Washed, ground for espresso (we use a Mahlkonig e65s or K30 in our shops)
- Extract 29 seconds with a 2-second preinfusion
- Final Output of 40g of espresso.
When brewed as espresso, the Las Nubes has deep caramel notes alongside of the sweet acidity of a blood orange. There are also notes of honeysuckle that round out the flavor notes in the cup. It has a medium body, and nice mouthfeel, and when prepared as a cappuccino, is reminiscent of a chocolate candied orange. As a filter coffee the flavors tend to err on the side of orange and honeysuckle, however it still has some of the caramel body that can be experienced when it is brewed as espresso.
As with any coffee that we roast and serve at Anchor Coffee, we ensure that it is sourced and produced in an ethical way, which is one of the main reasons that we partner up with Ally Coffee to bring in many of our coffees. With their extensive network of coffee producers and co-ops throughout the coffee producing world, we have access to amazing offerings, including the Colombia Las Nubes..
Order a bag today and we will roast, package, and ship within 48 hours. Our coffees are roasted to order, to ensure maximum freshness and flavor. You can also try it out at either of our locations in Winston Salem or North Wilkesboro on espresso or pour over!