Black Condor

The Black Condor offering is a singular expression of resilience cultivated by over forty farmers whose families have reclaimed Tolima's volcanic slopes from the shadows of conflict. Gaitania rises from the northern foothills of Nevado del Huila in Planadas municipality, where altitudes between 1,650 and 1,950 meters create an isolated microclimate shaped by young volcanic soils and persistent morning mists. The contributing farmers—Caturra and Castillo growers united through the Black Condor Project—traverse mountain paths to deliver their harvest to La Roma processing center, a ritual that has become central to their collective identity and economic liberation. This coffee represents Colombia's most remarkable transformation: a region once defined by guerrilla occupation and coca cultivation now producing specialty-grade coffee that commands premium prices on international markets. La Roma represents Emmanuel Enciso's most ambitious vision: a meticulously positioned central processing station rescued from commodity buyers in 2019 through partnership with Forest Coffee. With Emmanuel and his sister Valentina at the helm, the station serves 40-100 independent producers across fifteen villages in Gaitania, creating the infrastructure that small-scale farmers desperately needed but could never build alone. The project pays farmers 18-30% above market rates—around $350,000 COP per carga—while providing continuous education through workshops on fermentation, drying, and cupping. This model has become the cornerstone of Forest Coffee's social impact initiatives, positioning Gaitania alongside Huila as Colombia's emerging post-conflict coffee regions. The washed processing at La Roma follows a deliberate protocol designed for consistency across diverse microlots. Hand-selected red cherries undergo pulping before a 24-hour fermentation period with mucilage intact, allowing natural enzymes to develop complexity without compromising the clean profile characteristic of washed coffees. After fermentation, the beans are transported to La Roma's raised bed drying facilities, where they spend 20-25 days under careful monitoring until reaching optimal moisture levels. The centralized drying creates homogenization across the project—a strategic choice that allows individual farmers' lots to be blended while maintaining the signature Gaitania character that buyers seek. Following a mandatory rest period, the coffee undergoes final milling and hand-sorting before export certification through Forest Coffee's direct trade channels. This harvest, scored at 85.5 points, reveals the sophisticated balance between traditional Colombian varieties and modern processing precision. The cup presents layers of almond and toasted hazelnut, elevated by smooth caramel sweetness and the distinctive panela notes that reference Colombia's raw cane sugar heritage. Red fruit complexity emerges as the coffee cools—think cranberry and red currant—accompanied by subtle dark chocolate undertones and a clean, lingering finish. The medium body carries the structural integrity of Castillo while preserving the bright, expressive acidity that Caturra contributes, creating a versatile profile that excels equally as filter coffee or espresso. Black Condor represents more than exceptional coffee—each bag connects you directly to a community rebuilding their lives through specialty agriculture, their collective determination, and a terroir forged in volcanic soil and human resilience. This is coffee with purpose, grown by farmers whose daily work challenges the narrative that conflict regions cannot produce quality. Available while quantities last.