Andres Cardona – Cochadas

About Andres Cardona:

Alvaro Andrés Cardona Molina has worked in coffee since age 12. He’s now working at Felipe Trujillo’s farm and leading the Unblended and Ventrola Institute (UVI) program, keeping track of the other’s producer’s harvest and processes. Additionally, he manages his uncle’s farm, Villa Lucia, from where this coffee was sourced. We had the opportunity to speak with Andres prior to the release of this coffee thanks to Unblended, and he would like his coffee to serve as an example for the youth. His dedication and curiosity have taken him to new coffee processes and experiments, always seeking new ways of making each coffee a special one.

About UVI:

Unblended & Ventrola Institute (UVI) is a project created in Colombia to make coffee an exciting career path for young people. The average age of coffee producers in Colombia is now around 60, and UVI is trying to change that through a program that aims to mentor and help younger producers succeed in bringing their coffees into global specialty markets. This program guides producer members through the creation of their own coffee portfolio and helps to guide them through the many intricate steps along the way. They want to change how coffee is sold and promoted in the world, and we are truly inspired by this.

About the Varietal:

Castillo and Colombia are both hybrid varieties developed by the Colombian Coffee Growers Federation (FNC). They are a cross between Caturra and a Timor Hybrid. Both of these varieties have been researched and developed over many decades to create varieties in Colombia with a high quality cup potential, and also resistance to leaf rust and other disease.