Marlon Ortega - La Planada

"La Planada · Marlon Ortega · Washed · Chiroso · La Manuelita, Palestina, Huila

Marlon Ortega was a certified cupper before he was a farmer. He founded La Manuelita in 2021 to learn coffee from the ground up, and four years later his washed Chiroso scored 88.15 points.

The farm covers five hectares in the Jericó district of Palestina, Huila, at 1,700 metres, and is named for his younger sister, Manuela. Marlon works with special varieties: Pink Bourbon, a local Bourbon known as ají or pimiento, and the Chiroso in this lot. Labour is short in the region and recent seasons have brought heavy rain, both of which he counts as part of the learning.

Before he had his own land, Marlon sold small harvests from a cousin's farm into the conventional market, because the specialty channels in his region were largely closed to him. Entering the Colombia Farmer's Collection is his way of opening that door himself. He is convinced southern Huila grows some of the finest coffee in the world.

The process is a two stage anaerobic washed method. Ripe cherries are floated, then fermented for 48 hours in sealed drums. After depulping, the coffee goes through a second, longer anaerobic fermentation of 64 hours, is washed, and dries for about 25 days. In the cup: apricot with a bright lemon edge, then honey, caramel and vanilla, and a buttery macadamia finish."