El Puente is a processing facility settled in a section of Huila, Colombia with an especially high density of coffee farms. The name translates to “the bridge,” which reflects the founding actors’ mission to connect local coffee farmers to post-harvest infrastructure, financial resources, and access to new experimental processing methods. All three are significant keys to standing out and running a financially successful farm in today’s competitive specialty coffee market.
The El Puente project makes success a reality for farmers in this area by buying ripe cherries delivered to the mill at the cost of already-processed coffee. Because of this, the farmers are guaranteed a higher price than if they were to sell cherries to a coop, and they are not on the hook for any risks that may arise in the processing stage (or the burden of finding a buyer for their crop). This project began with Clearpath Coffee exporters and several coffee-producing veterans, including Claudia Samboni and Rodrigo Sanchez, whose Las Nubes and Monteblanco farms have been gems in our offering list.
| Flavor Notes: | Watermelon / Key Lime / Toffee |
| Producer: |
426 Smallholder Producers |
| Region: | Huila |
| Variety: | Caturra, Colombia, Castillo |
| Process: | Natural |
Growing and processing expertise is on full display with this coffee. It is the product of 426 different producers who have followed the highest standards every step of the way and have come together at El Puente—where the top-of-the-line processing techniques help the coffee shine even brighter. The result is a deliciously juicy coffee with notes of watermelon and key lime with a hint of toffee.