Jojoa - Colombia - Washed

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Producer: Luis Alberto Jojoa

Farm: Finca La Perla del Otún

Region: Charguayaco Village, Acevedo Municipality, Huila

Varietal: Pink Bourbon

Processing: Extended Fermentation, Washed

Exporter: Azahar

Importer: Covoya Coffee

Elevation: 1900-1950 m.a.s.l.

Price Paid: €15,72/kg

FOB: USD $14.33/kg

Farm Gate: 3,300,000 per Carga (125 kg of parchment)

Tastes Like: Lemongrass, Mangosteen, Cherry Cola, Blood Orange.

We’re proud to have offered coffees from Luis Alberto Jojoa for six harvests now. This time will be a very limited release, but we are excited to have Jojoa in our portfolio again!

Luis Alberto Jojoa's coffee journey began with a dream and a lot of hard work. He tells about the many years he worked on his now neighbour Antonio Castro's farm, and how he eventually worked up the courage to ask his boss if he would maybe sell him a plot of land, so that he could start growing and harvesting his own coffee. Antonio agreed but unfortunately, Luis Alberto still didn’t have enough money, so he offered his job to pay for it. He negotiated to purchase two hectares of land, and over the span of five years, Don Luis balanced working for the landowner with developing his own farm, planting coffee trees, building infrastructure, and gradually transforming the plot into a productive and self-sustaining enterprise. Five years of hard work later, Don Luis became the proud owner of La Perla del Otún in 1994. He named his farm ‘the pearl’ because of the absolute beauty that surrounds it. His family plays a central role in the farm's operations. With four children (two sons and two daughters) he has ensured that the values of hard work and appreciation for coffee are passed down to the next generation. While some of them are pursuing their own interests, they remain closely connected to the farm and contribute during busy seasons. Don Luis carries out the harvest on his five-hectare farm with the help of his wife, Floridalid, their sons and a few local pickers. They carefully hand-select only the ripest cherries. Unlike most traditional Colombian coffee producers, who typically de-pulp their coffees and ferment them for up to 24 hours, he harvests and de-pulps his coffee at night, then places it in fermentation tanks for an extended 72-hour fermentation. Afterward, the coffee undergoes a washed process and is dried for 20 days in a marquesina.

Don Luis is an exceptional producer. In 2006, he won 1st place in the Colombian cup of excellence; a prize that allowed him to buy additional hectarage to increase his productions. Luis’s progressive approach to specialty coffee extends beyond the farm. He also attends the local SENA agricultural university to increase his knowledge about high-quality production. 

Our head of coffee Mars visited the farm in Finca La Perla del Otún last year. “Jojoa processed his coffees at his house. He is very intelligent, organised and experienced. He adds cherries to the fermentation tank that were picked on different dates and dry them for 10-30 days depending on the weather conditions. It is a very steep hike up to Jojoa’s farm. You can imagine how hard it must be to carry 20kg of cherries on your back, picking coffees whilst trying to stay balanced.” 
Read more about Mars' origin trip to Colombia and Mexico here .

We are very proud to partner up again with Azahar - the importer for this coffee. Check out their Sustainable Buyers Guide. The Guide uses manually collected data, from field interviews, to track earnings and costs of production. These values inform socially conscious coffee buyers about prices required for farmers to achieve different levels of income. The guide aspires toward “A Prosperous Income” price paid to producers. The processed cost of production data is compiled and shared with producers in a way that allows them to maximize efficiency.