Finca Los Nogales is a contemporary institute where science and agriculture go hand in hand. Owner Oscar Hernandez studied environmental management and his approach to farming is a combination of biotechnology, entrepreneurship and a deep-rooted love for coffee. Having spent his whole childhood on the farm, his studies helped him to improve the quality and yield of his family’s coffee through several (environmentally friendly) production changes (both during and post-harvest).

About the process:

The cherries are handpicked when ripe and transported in fruit baskets, to avoid heavy agitation. Upon arrival at the mill, they are pulped and washed with water that has the optimal PH and hardness for fermentation. After washing, the coffee is first separated through floating - to remove impurities such as stones - and then manually - to select only the best, most mature beans. Then, the coffee is fermented inside 200 liter bins with a lactobacillus called “RN21”, a bacteria developed especially for this coffee, for no less than 190 hours at a steady temperature. After fermentation, the beans are washed with as little water as possible and all residue is kept aside for their (personal) fertilizer. Finally, the coffee is dried inside mechanical drums (called guardiolas) for 3 days in total, whilst stirred twice a day.