Colombia Suukala
- Farm: San Lorenzo
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Location: Riosucio, Caldas
- Altitude: 1,600 - 2000 m
- Process: Washed
- Varietal: Caturra, Colombia, Castillo
Cupping Notes
Apple, blackcurrant, dark chocolate, toffee.
More Information
It is a joy to bring this long house favourite coffee back to the roastery from our friends at Siruma coffee (sourced through Falcon coffees). This August we had the delight and privilege of hosting Siruma’s founders Valentina and Gabriel for a day, and showing them round the place we love to call home. Meeting them and hearing their stories from Colombia was inspirational and enlightening and makes it all the more special to be able to share their hard work and coffee with you all. Suukala, meaning ‘sugary and sweet’, is Siruma’s range that ‘represents the hard work of farmers who are committed to producing high-quality, high-scoring coffees.’
This crop is from the farm ‘San Lorenzo’, an indigenous reserve located in the western part of Caldas, near the town of Riosucio. The indigenous people of the region are part of the Embera Chamí indigenous people of Colombia, where 12,600 of them live in the 21 veredas of San Lorenzo.
This community has a very particular way of operating, since in Colombia there can be an indigenous ruling above the traditional governmental ruling applied to the rest of Colombia; hence the land of San Lorenzo can only be sold to people who are part of the Embera Chamí tribe. This particular law has created lots of nano-lots, where growers can own 5 different lots that add up to just 1 hectare.
This community seeks to protect and conserve the water sources, animals, and nature in general. Following the indigenous laws, not everyone can freely access San Lorenzo, since part of the way they take care of their culture and nature is by not allowing people that are not part of their community to visit. However, trusted companies (such as Siruma) that work with the community are allowed to visit the area.
A large part of the ethos in San Lorenzo is in way the growers take care of the land, where they not only believe in getting an income from the land – through coffee - but also giving back to nature to enrich the ecosystem.
