Lizardo Herrera’s farm outside Palestina, in Huila, southern Colombia, is defined by dense shade and a forest-like growing environment uncommon for the region. Towering oak trees and a diverse canopy slow cherry maturation, allowing sugars and acids to develop more fully before harvest. This extended ripening contributes to increased sweetness, layered acidity, and a more substantial body in the cup.

Coffee is harvested at peak ripeness and processed using a controlled, non-traditional fermentation designed to enhance fruit clarity and complexity without obscuring origin character. This lot undergoes a combination of in-cherry fermentation and fed-batch fermentation prior to washing.

On the first harvest day, cherries ferment whole for 12 hours before being depulped and transferred to a fermentation tank. Over the next four days, freshly harvested cherries follow the same process and are added daily to the actively fermenting coffee. Each addition introduces new sugars, sustaining yeast activity and extending fermentation dynamics across the batch.

The result is a staggered fermentation in which the first day’s coffee ferments for approximately 120 hours in tank, with each subsequent day receiving proportionally less time. After fermentation, the coffee is fully washed and dried for approximately 15 days. While this approach differs significantly from the 12–18 hour fermentations typical of Colombian washed coffees, it produces a cup profile that remains clean and structured while highlighting the tropical fruit character for which Huila is known. 

This coffee is sourced through our partners at LaREB and marks our sixth harvest working with Lizardo Herrera.