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Colombia

La Pelota

La Pelota

A delicately floral washed Geisha with fresh citrus notes, by Cup of Excellence Maria Rovira Muñoz in the Huila Region

Regular price $23.00 USD
$23.00 USD Regular price Sale price
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About

Coffee Expression This is a classic example of Colombian Geisha, crisp and complex florals, soft citrus in the cup, and a delicately tea-like finish. 

Producer Maria Rovira Muñoz has been farming on this tiny 2 hectare plot for over 20 years, with true dedication and passion. Her hard work has led her from an almost barren farm to a number 6 finish in the Cup of Excellence in 2022.

100g - Whole Bean Coffee

Technical Data

Producer Maria Rovira Muñoz

Region Huila

Altitude 1900 masl

Varietal Geisha

Process Washed

Harvest October 2024

Brewing Advice

Water is one of the most critical components of an excellent coffee experience. We recommend using mineral water of a soft Total Dissolved Solids count, ideally below 150 ppm. 

Rested coffee During the resting process, harsh and astringent flavors, which can even be perceived as a ‘roast’ character, soften out, allowing a clearer and brighter expression of the coffee’s character to shine.  

We recommend resting our coffees for at least 10 days after the roast date, and we often find excellent results, especially for particularly dense coffees, beyond 6 weeks.

Brewing Our straightforward approach to coffee carries over into brewing. We recommend our roasted coffee for all brew methods, regardless of whether it is immersion, percolation or espresso. We believe that there is one correct way to roast a single coffee, roasting lightly, in such a way as to release its innate qualities and showcase its quality. Learn more about different brewing techniques and specific brew guides here.

Shipping & Delivery

· Free shipping above $79 and on all subscription orders

· Ships within 1-3 days from Brooklyn, New York

· Coffee is roasted to order

· More info

Maria Rovira Muñoz

La Pelota is located in the department of San Agustín, in southern Huila, where the Central and Eastern Andes Mountains converge. The farm, sitting at 1900 masl, received its name from the geometrical shape of the land, ‘the ball’. Maria Rovira Muñoz has been farming on this tiny 2 hectare plot for over 20 years, with true dedication and passion. Her hard work has led her from an almost barren farm to a number 6 finish in the Cup of Excellence in 2022. 

She farmed sugar cane at La Pelota for many years, and began slowly replacing with coffee, searching for ways to increase her quality and standing in the market. 10 years ago she bargained for seeds at a local market, which turned out to be an early example of the Pink Bourbon varietal; she has since participated in seed distribution and technical training programmes, also receiving seeds of Geisha and Caturra.

Maria Rovira is an example for female producers in the region; after her performance in CoE, many come to her for advice about varietals, processing and quality control.

The Muñoz family

Rovira is also proud to continue her family history in coffee. She raised her children alone on the farm; both now own their own land and have decided to pursue speciality coffee after their mother’s example. All members of the Muñoz family keep pushing for quality, and we believe the results can be tasted in the cup. This lot is from Rovira’s small number of Geisha trees; we purchased almost all that was available this year. The careful washed process leads to a soft yet fresh cup, with citrus and tea-like character, following on from Geisha’s trademark complex white florals.

Huila

Maria grows coffee near the town of San Agustín in southern Huila, one of the most renowned growing regions in Colombia. Huila’s volcanic soils, undisturbed by the intensive agriculture seen further north, are full of nutrition, and alongside high altitude, lead to excellent conditions for producing high quality coffees. We also see a great number of driven and agile small farmers here, many of whom have family history in coffee, but haven’t necessarily been working on the same large industrialised farms for generations, like we see in more established coffee regions. This leads to a willingness to experiment, to innovate, and create lots that fulfil ever changing needs in the speciality coffee market. 

One example of this is Pink Bourbon, said to be a natural mutation discovered in Huila, an exotic varietal that exhibits crisp and clean aromatic character, often with floral and tropical elements.

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