Reinaldo Parra | Colombia

This 100% Caturra micro-lot was produced by Reinaldo Parra and his family on their 5-hectare farm, Las Piñas (meaning “the pineapples” in Spanish), located near the small community of China Alta, in the municipality of Ibagué, in Colombia’s Tolima state.

Finca Las Piñas sits at a staggering height of 1,900 meters above sea level, in the steep, rugged hills that surround Tolima’s capital city, Ibagué. The town of China Alta is named for the Rio La China, a small and beautiful river that swerves through the mountains and eventually feeds into Rio Magdelena, Colombia’s principal river. Alta refers to the higher elevations of the area, where the sweetest and most refined coffees are grown and harvested. The farm sits on the steep valley walls of Rio La China, which is used as a water source to irrigate and process the coffee.

Reinaldo is an influential coffee producer in the China Alta region, with many of his neighbours looking to him for advice and guidance. His farmland includes two very steep slopes, with his home, micro-beneficio (mill) and drying beds sitting between them. Reinaldo has chosen to plant the Caturra variety, which yields well at the high elevations of China Alta and also has a sweet and refined cup quality. This allows him to sell his coffee to specialty buyers, thereby earning a higher premium for his crop.