La Cabaña
CountryColombia
RegionBruselas, Huila
FarmLa Cabaña
Altitude1600 – 1700 m
Size of the farm8 ha
Under this profile we would like to introduce you to the family farm La Cabaña and with it Libardo and William Ortiz. All the Ortiz family are coffee farmers and they are divine. It all started with Libardo Ortiz’s father, the grandfather of the clan. Coffee farming was then taken over by Libardo Ortiz, a super gentleman who leads all his children to love coffee. We at Chicas started a few years ago by working with William Ortiz, one of his sons, and have gradually expanded our shopping list to include other coffees, both from Mr. Libardo and his other son Julian. Each of them has a slightly different approach to coffee and we enjoy it immensely.
William is a representative of the third generation of coffee farmers. Since childhood, he has been surrounded by coffee and has known everything about the coffee cultivation process—from selecting beans, germinating them, planting them on the plantation, to growing them to their full potential. At the age of 15, he attended his first courses on coffee production and began to take an interest in specialty coffee cultivation. He continues to participate in courses and training because improving the coffee’s flavor profile has always been his priority. This led him to focus on various fermentation processes.
Bit by bit, with great effort and determination, William is starting to see the results. He now takes care of his own coffee plants, which has given him the freedom to experiment with new fermentation processes. As a result, he has achieved better flavor profiles and is currently working on standardizing fermentation processes.
The farm
The farm is breathtaking. Nestled in the hills, it stands in solitude with panoramic views in all directions, where the surrounding towns and villages appear as if seen from an airplane.
The farm has been in the family for two generations. The family moved to the area and began growing coffee around 1965. Since 2009, they have owned this specific farm, which also serves as their home. Currently, farming is a joint effort of William, his brother Julian, and their parents. With dedication and teamwork, they have achieved secondary technical education in coffee production while simultaneously working and farming together.
Gradually, younger generations of Ortiz family, such as William’s daughter, are getting into farming and working with coffee. She is most interested in coffee preparation and tasting, so she profiles herself as a bassist and professional “cupper”. Over the years, William’s mother has also been given the space to raise the profile of her own efforts – she has joined the Asogloriellas association and some of the coffee from the farm is processed under her supervision and sold under her name. A small thing, but still rather a dream for most women in Colombia.
About the coffee
William is a passionate enthusiast and an experimenter at heart. With great determination, he delves into lactic and carbonic fermentations, drawing inspiration from social media and training sessions. Why does he do it all? Because he loves it, but also to bring out the best in the coffees grown on the family farm. His favorite method is fermentation with added microorganisms, specifically lactic acid bacteria. However, he also works with washed processes. Step by step, he’s diving into competitions with his coffees—and we’re diving right alongside him.
Libardo, on the other hand, is a traditionalist, a lover of pure flavors and classic washed coffees—coffees that no one ever seems to tire of and that never go out of style. He doesn’t venture much into experimental methods. Libardo represents the older generation of farmers, the ones behind our beloved “washed coffees,” and we adore him for it.
CO-24-161
La Cabaña Pink Bourbon N
This lot comes from the La Cabaña farm and features the Pink Bourbon variety, processed using the natural method. The processing steps included:
- Harvesting coffee cherries at their optimal ripeness
- Floating and disinfecting the cherries
- Oxidation for 36 hours
- Anaerobic fermentation for 60 hours
- Submerged fermentation for approximately 60 hours
- Separation of lixiviates and subsequent drying on a solar drying bed for approximately 21 days
CO-25-130
La Cabaña Pink Bourbon H
Variety: Pink Bourbon
Process: Anaerobic Semi-Washed (honey)
After harvesting coffee cherries at optimal ripeness, they undergo floating and manual selection, during which defective fruits are removed. This is followed by 48 hours of anaerobic fermentation in whole cherries in bags. Subsequently, the coffee is depulped and fermented anaerobically for another 48 to 60 hours in mucilage. After fermentation, the coffee is lightly washed (semi-washed/honey) to remove impurities and transported to the drying facility, where sun drying takes place for approximately 21 days.
CO-25-131
La Cabaña Ombligon H
Variety: Ombligón
Process: Anaerobic Semi-Washed (honey)
After harvesting coffee cherries at optimal ripeness, they undergo floating and manual selection, during which defective fruits are removed. This is followed by 24 hours of anaerobic fermentation in whole cherries in bags. Subsequently, the coffee is depulped and fermented anaerobically for another 60 hours in mucilage. After fermentation, the coffee is lightly washed (semi-washed/honey) to remove impurities and transported to the drying facility, where sun drying takes place for approximately 21 days.
CO-25-132
La Cabaña Chiroso H
Variety: Caturra Chiroso
Process: Anaerobic Semi-washed/honey
After harvesting coffee cherries at optimal ripeness, they undergo floating and manual selection, during which defective fruits are removed. This is followed by 48 hours of anaerobic fermentation in whole cherries in bags. Subsequently, the coffee is depulped and fermented anaerobically for another 48 to 60 hours in mucilage. After fermentation, the coffee is lightly washed (semi-washed/honey) to remove impurities and transported to the drying facility, where sun drying takes place for approximately 21 days.
