Colombia - Cauca - Manos Juntas

Process: Natural
Variety: Castillo
Elevation: 1400–2000 MASL
Region: Cauca
The Cup: Cooked berry, clove and cocoa flavors. Boozy acidity and mellow candy-like sweetness.

Manos Juntas is a micromill in Sotara area of Colombia's Cauca region.

This particular offering was first purchased in its cherry form when delivered to the mill on the day of harvest. The cherries are placed in large hermetic tanks for a five-day-long anaerobic fermentation: Each tank is labeled with the name of the producer, to retain traceability. During this period, nitrogen gas is introduced into the tanks in order to stimulate the yeast. Brix and pH are measured constantly through this process and are used to determine the stopping point for fermentation; the coffee is then subjected to 20°C temperatures in order to cease fermentation and remove the yeast and other microorganisms. The cherry is then "aged" in tanks for a period of five more days before they are taken to solar dryers, where drying takes 30–45 days.

Producers deliver and sell coffee in cherry form by total weight. The riper the cherry, the heavier it is. This encourages better harvest practice that directly correlates to higher quality.
Producers get paid upfront for their coffee, typically producers have to wait 35 to 40 days for coffee to dry before selling it.
Producers are guaranteed a fixed price well above the market value for these cherries.
Producers involved are from surrounding farms. This means they need only to travel a short distance to deliver coffee, as opposed to driving many kilometers into town.
Coffee infrastructure, like drying beds, fermentation tanks, and depulpers, can be very expensive to purchase and maintain. With this model, farmers can forgo all of this hassle and focus on maintaining healthy trees.