Country: Colombia

Region: South Huila

Elevation: 1,600-1,900 masl

Varieties: Caturra, Pink Borbon, Castillo

Laboyano is a fully traceable coffee comprised primarily of lots from producers in and around the South of Huila and named after the Valley of Laboyos (a person from this region is colloquially known in Spanish as a “Laboyano”).

This communal lot is carefully constructed, with every single small lot individually cupped various times before being included within the main lot. In addition to cup quality, each coffee must meet strict physical requirements, including our guidelines for moisture content and water activity. The first time a lot is cupped is when the producer brings a sample to our buying station. Upon approval, the producer will then bring the lot down to the warehouse where it will be cupped again, taking a sample from each sack to ensure consistency. Upon final approval, the parchment coffee is packed in grain-pro and remains untouched until the entire lot is milled.

Laboyano represents the hard work of dedicated producers who work with us because they believe in our model of transparency and appreciate the fact that we buy across all ranges of qualities that they produce. In addition to simply paying fair prices, we offer feedback on every-single-lot cupped (whether purchased or not) and as we are able to purchase across all ranges of quality, we can confidently ask producers to make adjustments in their processing, while reducing their concern over price volatility. This coffee contributes to an important part of the supply because these are very well processed coffees that might not hit "single-farm micro-lot" quality, but nonetheless are beautiful coffees that deserve fair payments.

The producers who contributed to this lot grow Caturra, Colombia, Castillo, and Pink Bourbon with farms sitting at a range of elevations between 1,600 and 1,900 meters.

Pink Bourbon is a variety that was discovered several years ago in Southern Huila (near Pitalito) and has since been planted on a significant number of farms. As there is more available these days, Laboyano will represent a profile very closer to a pure Pink Bourbon lot due to the component included within the overall lot.