Colombia, Blend Altura

About the Coffee

The smallholder producers behind this coffee are part of the Café con Altura program in Nariño, Colombia, a region that sits in the shadow of the active Galeras volcano. Farmers here work at extreme elevations, where cooler temperatures slow the development of the coffee cherry and concentrate sugars over a longer growing period. Nariño is one of Colombia's most southern departments, and its high-altitude plots are among the most challenging to farm in the country.

Each lot goes through a careful washed process: the coffee cherry is fermented and then dried under the sun. Washed processing removes the fruit layer before drying, which lets the natural characteristics of the bean come through without added fruit influence from the skin. The Café con Altura program works directly with these small farms to maintain consistent standards at every step, from picking ripe cherries to controlled fermentation times, helping producers at altitude get full value for the quality of what they grow.

Nariño farmers typically work very small plots, often less than one hectare, at elevations that can exceed 2,000 meters. That combination of volcanic soil, altitude, and close attention at the processing stage is what the Café con Altura program is built around: giving smallholders the tools and market access to make elevation an advantage rather than just a logistical challenge.

About Bright Jenny

Bright Jenny is a coffee roaster based in Vancouver, British Columbia. The roaster page wasn't available at time of writing, so details on their founding story and sourcing approach are limited here. What the coffee itself reflects is a sourcing preference toward producers with clear processing standards and distinct growing conditions, qualities that show up in how this Colombia lot was selected and prepared.

"Bright Jenny is another roaster we love for how seriously they take their craft without taking themselves too seriously. The result: a panel of excellently roasted and delicious coffees that fit a broad set of tastes. The owner (Dave Upshaw) himself considers their dark roast, Smoke & Mirrors, among his favourites, to which Dave says: "yes, coffee nerds are allowed to like dark roasts.""

- Dean, Director of Coffee