Fraijanes | |
1,600 – 1,700 masl. | |
Pache, Catuaí | |
Washed | |
Marvin Carias |
The farm is at an altitude between 1,600 and 1,700 meters and has an average temperature of 18.9 degrees all year round.
The altitude, the climate and the abundant rain in some months make this location an ideal place for growing coffee. In addition, the coffee trees on this farm grow in the shade of different trees such as avocado trees, oak trees, pines, guachipilin or jícaros. This makes the maturation process slower.
Marvin Carias, a specialty coffee entrepreneur
Marvin bought the first hectares of Las Brisas farm in 1990 and since then he started planting coffee.
Experience and training have made the coffee from Las Brisas an excellent one; that is why we bring you this lot.
Marvin started with a few hectares and in a mountainous area, which makes cultivation difficult. But his perseverance and know-how have meant that each year, reinvesting the coffee profits, the farm has grown to its present 350 hectares.
In addition, Marvin and his team help maintain the natural ecosystem and take advantage of the available resources -such as the trees shade- to benefit the crop.
Coffee processing at the Las Brisas farm
This is the moment when they have more flavour subtleties and can offer a fuller cup profile. Cherries that do not pass this selection process are used for lower quality batches.
Once picked, the cherries undergo a washed process.
This means that the cherries are pulped as soon as they are picked and washed with water to remove any remaining mucilage.
This creates a clean profile in the cup, where what stands out are the qualities of the coffee.
Once washed, the coffee seeds are left to dry for approximately two weeks on raised beds.
During this time, they should be turned regularly to ensure even drying.
Finca Las Brisas, an incentive to the local economy
In Marvin’s case, he decided to set up a washing and processing plant in his farm to have control over the entire process.
The slow but steady increase in the size of the Las Brisas farm and the fact that the coffee is processed on the same farm requires a lot of labour.
This is a great incentive for the local economy. In addition, part of the philosophy of specialty coffee is to have fair deals with producers which allows them to have a decent quality of life.
This is achieved through direct dealings with producers, such as Marvin, and paying a fair price, higher than the market price, for the coffee.