For another year in a row comes the return of one of the most ambitious specialty coffee projects that we have come across, and it delights us to experience and share it with you. Leonid Ramirez and his immediate family grow and process an impressive variety of Arabica cultivars. Leonid Ramirez took a risk, selling most of his personal property to invest resources and time into his coffee. Till today we still believe it was very much worth it.

One of 3 unique processes, this coffee is grown at Finca La Cortina de Hierro. Leonid's coffee's inherent high quality and complexity combined with expert processing form spectacular coffees. This lot is the anaerobic natural process of the trio that we are roasting this year.

We have always been impressed with Leonid's ability to execute a flavourful and exciting natural process coffee, a less common processing method in Colombia where washed processing often takes the main stage. This natural process is an evolution of his past naturals, incorporating an extended period of anaerobic fermentation in whole coffee cherries before a long and slow drying on raised drying beds. We found this approach to the natural introduced a vibrant array of tropical fruit flavours.

Our exporting partners at Cofinet provide immense support to Leonid Ramirez in his production and processing. Offering advice and improving his farming practices, infrastructure, and processing most of his washed and honey lots locally at the farm level. What makes Leonid Ramirez's coffee stand out is that he offers his different Arabica cultivars in their own range of processes. It's rare to find a single farmer's coffee available in unique processes.

From this relationship, Leonid receives an increased income with as much as four times more than the local market rate for his raw and processed coffee. This has allowed Leonid to invest back into the farm and improvements to his family's living conditions. As it should be, great coffee and good people.