José Merchán - Delagua Natural

MEET THE PRODUCER | For José Merchán, coffee isn't just about farming - it's about family. On his farm in the picturesque region of Magdalena, José has been overseeing coffee production for over 8 years while teaching his son, Juan José, to do the same. Off the farm, José's heart extends to the community, where he helps support and equip indigenous communities in practical ways. José's passion for coffee production and love for the community made him an obvious partner for our friends at Delagua Coffee Project.

Delagua Coffee is becoming a regular household name here at the roastery; you’ve likely seen them alongside several Colombian producers on our labels over the years. Delagua is responsible for processing green coffee from La Sierra Nevada, a “magical region” with a richly diverse microclimate that is fiercely protected by the folks at Delagua and the farmers with whom they collaborate. In their own words, here's what Delagua has to say about their mission: 

“At Delagua Coffee, water has become our greatest treasure and its conservation, our purpose. As challenging as this statement is when it comes to producing coffee, we have called this our mission. Delagua produces coffees through a community–based model using the minimum amount of water in their processing, encouraging our team and the traditional coffee growers inhabiting the region to become the guardians of biodiversity.”

TRUST THE PROCESS | After being picked at peak ripeness and sorted for defects, the coffee undergoes 30.1 hours of anaerobic fermentation in cherry. Then, it gets spread out on patios for up to 24 days of solar drying, until 9.9% moisture content is achieved.

TAKE A SIP | Unapologetically processing-forward, this coffee is full of big, wine-y, dark fruit flavors. Red raspberry and purple grape come to mind at first sip, and it is intense in a way that reminds of dark chocolate and cocoa nibs. Taken together, its flavor profile is not unlike that of a dark chocolate-covered cherry cordial - which would pair excellently with this coffee served as espresso, come to think of it.

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Origin | Cienaga, Magdalena, Colombia

Producer | José Merchán

Farm | Mari Auxiliadora

Process | Natural

Variety | Castillo

Elevation | 1733 masl