Supercrown Coffee: Colombia Finca Primavera |
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Receiving a whopping score of 94.05 in the Alliance for Coffee Excellence's Cup of Excellence (COE) competition is no easy task, and there are historically only a few farmers that can boast this caliber of achievement in coffee production. To give you some perspective regarding Arnulfo Leguizamo's Finca Primavera, the COE's highest scorer internationally in 2011, the competition's North Colombia runner-up (Las Mercedes, North Colombia) received a score of 92.62. The second highest score internationally was Ignacio Gutierrez Solis' Roxanita farm in North El Salvador, receiving 93.19. The coffee was also used by Pete Licata in his win of the 2013 World Barista Championship.
Evidently, Mr. Arnulfo Leguizamo's farm is a winner, through and through. The son of a coffee farmer, Leguizamo started with a half hectare of coffee. Then, his plot grew to one hectare, and after a while, he bought three hectares. Today, Finca Primavera ("spring farm" in Spanish) is heralded to produce some of, if not the best, Colombian coffee there is. In 2011, the farm's Cup of Excellence win received the second highest score from Colombia in history, and fetched the highest price ever paid at a Colombian coffee auction in history: $45.10 per pound.
Arnulfo Leguizamo, on Finca Primavera's coffee production:
Evidently, Mr. Arnulfo Leguizamo's farm is a winner, through and through. The son of a coffee farmer, Leguizamo started with a half hectare of coffee. Then, his plot grew to one hectare, and after a while, he bought three hectares. Today, Finca Primavera ("spring farm" in Spanish) is heralded to produce some of, if not the best, Colombian coffee there is. In 2011, the farm's Cup of Excellence win received the second highest score from Colombia in history, and fetched the highest price ever paid at a Colombian coffee auction in history: $45.10 per pound.
Arnulfo Leguizamo, on Finca Primavera's coffee production:
I have to do things with love, dedication and with the support of my wife and my children. The advantages of this land where my farm is located are a secret but mainly because of the high altitude and the right temperatures we produce coffee with the best attributes for its taste. It is important for us to harvest only ripe-red cherries and process on time. We have to wash coffee well with clean water and dry it under sun and air; for that we use the system: ‘Casa Elda.'
Casa Elda is a coffee drying method employed by a few small Colombian coffee producers. Its relatively small scale makes it difficult for larger lots, but Mr. Leguizamo and other Huilan producers embrace it. After wet processing, parchment coffee is dried on the roof of a home, usually with a retracting cover. Finca Primavera primarily grows coffee of the Caturra varietal, but Leguizamo has recently begun integrating Castillo plots as well. His farm lies around 1840 meters above sea level, and is part of San Agustin's famed Association Los Naranjos cooperative. Arnulfo Leguizamo has also been a Rainforest Alliance Certified farmer for over half a decade now, and takes pride in his usage of all organic, chemical-free farming.
On to the cupping notes. Throughout the cup, the coffee presents a honey-like sweetness backed with a tart acidity, creating flavor notes reminiscent of blueberry, or mandarin orange. A sweet, syrupy and complex body accompanies a delicately floral aroma. The cup finishes on an earthy, oak note, a harmonious contrast to the previous fruity sweetness. The coffee performed consistently across brew methods, but I tuned in my favorite flavor profile on the V60; the pour-over slightly compromised depth of body, but really highlighted some fantastic, subtle floral notes.

Thanks to Darleen Scherer and the crew at Supercrown Coffee (www.supercrown.coffee) for sharing this delicious coffee with us. A Sensory Judge for the Barista Championships and a member of both the Roaster's Guild Executive Council and the Specialty Coffee Association of America, Darleen has been able to source some really incredible microlots this season. Supercrown recently announced a subscription service whose offerings include this Finca Primavera, as well as a Peru Inambari (our cupping notes highlighted dark chocolate, buttery rich body, and winey notes) and a Rwanda Gitesi (lemon drops, ginger, cane sugar).
Supercrown's new subscription service boasts delivery of a newly roasted and sourced coffee weekly, meaning that if you sign up today, you'll have received precisely 52 laboriously sourced individual coffees by the start of summer 2017. Impossible, you say? We'll see; but if anyone can pull it off, it's Darleen Scherer and Supercrown Coffee.
Supercrown's new subscription service boasts delivery of a newly roasted and sourced coffee weekly, meaning that if you sign up today, you'll have received precisely 52 laboriously sourced individual coffees by the start of summer 2017. Impossible, you say? We'll see; but if anyone can pull it off, it's Darleen Scherer and Supercrown Coffee.