Risaralda sits at the heart of Colombia’s traditional Coffee Axis and has long been an important center of the country’s coffee industry. The region is known for its high productivity and large volumes of coffee, but historically less so for the kind of distinctive, highly differentiated lots that have brought greater attention to other parts of Colombia. In La Celia, Hilario Castrillón and his family are showing another side of the region.

Coffee at the Castrillón family’s farm, La Emma, is very much a family effort. Hilario’s son, Anderson, describes the quality they have achieved not as the result of luck or a single breakthrough, but of years spent working to improve their coffee. Along the way, Anderson trained as both a cupper and roaster, initially working with Agrosolidaria, a producer association in La Celia, while continuing to work alongside his family on their farm.

That experience eventually connected Anderson with LaREB, our close sourcing partner in Colombia. Today, he works with LaREB as a cupper and roaster while also supplying coffee produced by his family. It’s a relationship Anderson values because the people behind LaREB are producers themselves and understand firsthand the work and challenges involved in producing exceptional coffee. That shared experience has allowed Anderson to continue developing professionally without separating himself from La Emma or his family’s work as coffee producers.

Hilario’s coffee stood out initially for its sweetness and floral character, but since arriving it has developed into something even more complex. The acidity is bright and pronounced, with a slightly wild, expressive quality that gives the coffee remarkable vibrancy and depth. For a region better known for the volume of coffee it produces, Hilario and his family offer a compelling look at what else Risaralda is capable of.