Colombia Huila — Peñas Blancas (Vergara & Lasso)

Origin & Producer Details

• Region: Bruselas, Pitalito — Huila, Colombia
• Producers: Smallholder farmers supplying Peñas Blancas
• Processing Center: Peñas Blancas
• Altitude: ~1,820 MASL
• Variety: Caturra
• Process: Double Fermentation Anaerobic Mossto Washed
• Drying: Solar drying beds (18–24 days) + resting period
• Bag Size: 70 kg GrainPro

The People & the Project

This coffee is the result of a collaboration between Jhoan Vergara and Nestor Lasso, two producers helping shape a new direction for Colombian coffee. Through the Peñas Blancas processing center, they work with smallholder farmers in Pitalito and surrounding areas to create access to higher-quality processing, training, and more stable income.

Producers deliver freshly harvested cherry directly to the facility, where lots are carefully selected, registered, and tracked. Many of these farmers have grown coffee for generations but have historically faced challenges with processing infrastructure, consistency, and access to higher-value markets. This project is designed to address those gaps while allowing producers to focus on cultivation and farm management.

Processing

Peñas Blancas uses a highly controlled, multi-stage fermentation process that blends elements of natural and washed methods.

Cherry is first sorted and undergoes an initial oxidation phase, followed by anaerobic fermentation. The coffee then moves through additional controlled fermentation stages, including the use of mossto collected from earlier batches. After fermentation, the coffee is depulped, soaked, and then dried slowly on covered solar beds.

Each stage is documented and monitored for consistency, resulting in a process that is both highly technical and fully traceable from producer to export.

In the Cup

A structured and expressive profile.

You may find notes of:

• tropical fruit
• fermented sweetness
• cocoa

A Different Approach to Processing

Peñas Blancas represents a shift in how processing can support both quality and community. By centralizing post-harvest work and introducing controlled fermentation, the project creates consistency while opening new possibilities for flavor development.

At the same time, the model emphasizes transparency, direct relationships, and premium pricing for producers—linking innovation with tangible benefits at the farm level.

YOUR ORDER WILL BE ROASTED FRESH ON THE MONDAY FOLLOWING YOUR ORDER! COFFEES ARE SHIPPED ASAP AFTER ROASTING TO ENSURE YOU RECEIVE THE FRESHEST POSSIBLE ROAST.