Colombia | La Cristalina

This delicious brew from Colombia is one of the first coffees we have bought through the guys at Raw Material.  As a social enterprise they strive to support coffee growing communities plus ensuring that 100% of the profits go back to the producers.

The name of La Cristalina was born due to the proximity of farms to the La Cristalina Municipal Natural Park.  The town is situated in Guatica, a municipality in the department of Risaralda, Colombia, which is 93 km north of the department’s capital, Pereira.

The region sits within the mountainous cordillera Occidental, where the soil is fed by the Guatica, Opirama, and Oro Rivers.  In 2007, the association was formed with 55 founders dedicated to the production of high-quality coffee.  In 2008, the Support Productive Partnerships project was obtained.

Adolfo Alcalde comes from a family of coffee producers and farm managers. He grew up helping to pick coffee on his parents’ hectare of land, which they eventually were able to purchase during his childhood.

His interest in the specialty industry was awakened when selling his own first harvests separate to that of his family.

He now looks after his own farm, Peñas Blancas, which he began to operate in 2023.  He has taken over the farm from his father, and inherited the lots which were growing on the land. After a year of managing them, he is excited to learn more about the best ways to get the most from his trees.

We love roasting this coffee lightly to bring out the sweet delicate notes of marmalade, honey & almond.  Its great brewed as a pour over or aeropress!