Finca La Cristalina is located in Vereda Bajo Español, in the municipality of Chinchina. Its 21 hectares reach between 1460 and 1790 meters above sea level, with 4.1 hectares dedicated to an environmental reserve. The three Valdes family farms—Parana, La Cristalina, and San Pablo—are highly technified properties all maintained under Luis’ umbrella company Café Cuatro Generaciones. Named for the four generations of his family that have been involved in coffee production now, the three farms maintain admirable levels of production thanks to their combined total of 421,000 trees, 142,000 of which grow on Finca La Cristalina.
Finca La Cristalina maintains a focus on the environment and supporting biodiversity. Coffee is washed and depulped at the ecological mill, where coffee pulp is placed into compost treatment and is converted to organic fertilizer for the coffee trees. La Cristalina also uses various types of trees to shade the coffee plants. Many of these tree species—including walnut, red cedar, and guava—act as habitats for many types of birds around the farm. They also plant black cedar trees, a tree at risk of extinction, from its own nursery on the farm.
This Bourbon coffee was harvested with a minimum of 24 degrees Brix in preparation for Natural processing. The cherries are first manually sorted to remove any defects, and then fermented whole for 24 hours. The cherries are then dried at 30° C for up to 60 days under careful monitoring to ensure even drying. The cherries are milled once they reach a moisture content of 11%, finally being packaged for shipment.
