Las Mingas means something like “For the good of all” and describes an act where farmers will work together towards a common goal. In this case a goal towards better coffee.

An exporting company called Virmax, who started the Las Mingas project,  are actively training the farmers and sourcing the best coffees coming to various coffee mills around Colombia. They taste all the coffees coming in to the mills and the coffee lots scoring 84 per cent and above are separated from the rest of the coffees and samples of that coffee are sent to some 20 to 30 roasteries around the world for evaluation.

Since we are cooperating with one of the best green coffee sourcers in the world, Solberg & Hansen, we get to taste the samples and buy the ones we like. This year we bought 4 of the lots we sampled. One lot being only 11 kilos, but so good we couldn’t resist. This is actually the smallest lot e have ever bought. A coffee lot can be beans from one picking from one day from a small farm or beans from several picking days, but always from one farm only. As special as coffee can get in 2009 from Colombia.

The first 2 lots for sale is:

Finca Guayacan

This was the 2nd place winner in the Las Mingas final cupping in 2008 scoring an average of 91 points out of 100.
Lot size: 11 kg
Producer: Mr. Luis Toro
Harvestt: 2008
Origin: Cartago, Nariño, Colombia.
Growing conditions: 1811 m.a.s.
Farm size: 1 hectar, all dedicated to coffee production.
Botanical variety: Caturra
Process: Washed and fermentert for about 18 hours. Dried on african beds inside parabolic dryer.

Taste description:
Aroma: Biscuits and red berries.
Acidity: Intense and refreshing rasberry like acidity.
Mouthfeel: Lively light and refreshing. Short finish.
Flavour: Red berries and biscuits.

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Finca La Providencia
Lot size: 160 kg
Producer: Mrs. Otilia Monje Rojas
Harvest: 2008
Origin: La Plata, Huila, Colombia.
Growing conditions: 1881 m.a.s.
Farm size: 4 hectars whereas 2 hectars for coffee production.
Botanical variety: Caturra
Process: Washed and fermentert for about 18 hours. Dried on african beds inside parabolic dryer.

Taste description:
Aroma: Red berries, marzipan and caramel.
Acidity: Refreshing berry-like acidity.
Mouthfeel: Juicy and soft coffee with delicate balance. Some tannins in the aftertaste.
Flavour: Berry like. Remniscent of red currants and rasberries.

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Finca Los Cerindos
Lot size: 100 kg
Producer: Mrs. Jose Excehomo Ramirez
Harvest: 2008
Origin: Paicol, Huila, Colombia.
Growing conditions: 1600 m.a.s.
Farm size: 6 hectars whereas 3 hectars for coffee production.
Botanical variety: Caturra
Process: Washed and fermentert for about 18 hours. Dried on african beds inside parabolic dryer.

Taste description:
Aroma: Marzipan, gooseberries and red currant.
Acidity: Fresh gooseberry and winey acidity.
Mouthfeel: Fresh, transparent, light and lively mouthfeel. Good ripe berry-like sweetness. Short and refreshing finish.
Flavour: Reminiscent of gooseberries, tropical fruit, citrus and red berries. Some cinnamon notes in the finish.