Colombia Narino

About the Coffee

FUDAM (Fundación Agraria y Ambiental Para el Desarrollo Sostentible) is a cooperative of 300 organic-certified growers in La Unión, Nariño, founded in 2000 by seven producers. When recently asked why they stick with organic farming despite pressure to use chemical inputs, the leadership said: "This is not just a practice for us; it is our way of life and our deeply held beliefs."

La Unión has unusual geography for Colombian coffee - towns sit at high elevations while farms are nestled lower down among towering peaks. Farmers harvest during the day, depulp in the afternoon, and dry ferment for 16-24 hours before washing and drying using small "casa elbas," mechanical dryers, or parabolic dryers.

The washed Colombia, Castillo, and Caturra varieties grown at 1,500-2,200 meters create classic caramel, hazelnut, and chocolate notes - versatile enough for espresso, drip, or French press with a full body and low acidity.

About Terminal 3

Mo Alzatmah and Horlick Ng started Terminal 3 after five years of roasting coffee at home while working full-time jobs in finance. They tested over 120 beans, ranked them across five different criteria, and selected only the highest scoring to build their eight-bean lineup - all sourced from organic farms.

The Lake Shore Boulevard cafe roasts in-house in small 2.5kg batches about twice a week, with beans from North and South America, Asia, and Africa roasted right in view of customers. They focus on African beans more than typical cafes, despite the premium cost and limited harvesting seasons.

Terminal 3 takes the slow approach to coffee - they're one of few cafes that will take the time to make you a pour over. Alzatmah and Ng use that time to walk customers through the process and explain what they're tasting.

Terminal 3 is a recent discovery for me, hidden right under my nose in Etobicoke. They're very serious about the quality of the coffee they source, though I find it even more impressive what they do to preserve quality after it's roasted: resting the coffee before releasing it to customers, and ensuring coffee is not left outside in harsh Canadian winters. 

- Dean, Director of Coffee