We’ve known Herbert Peñaloza Correa since the very beginning of our coffee journey. As the founder of 575 Café and one of the pillars of La REB, Herbert’s roots run deep through coffee cultivation in central Colombia. About 5 years ago, Herbert was able to purchase the first farm in which he had free reign and complete control over the coffee cultivation process, from start to finish. ‘El Bocadillo’, as the farm is called, represents a return to the roots of coffee cultivation.

Located in rural northern Tolima, Herbert and his team approached every aspect of the new farm with deep intention, a desire to simplify, and one overriding goal: to let the coffee speak for itself. The team spent a great deal of time and energy understanding the terrain, the climate, and the natural flora of the area, building the farm specifically to focus on growing coffee cleanly, simply and in ways that bring out the best in each cultivar.

Originally released as part of our 3-coffee El Bocadillo Microlot Set, we’re excited to release ‘Puro’ as an individual single origin. ‘Puro’ is a short-fermentation naturally processed coffee, with the key step being a 78-hour in-husk anoxic fermentation. Adding this step brings out herbal and fruity notes and gives the coffee a creamy body. For Herbert, “a clean naturally processed coffee is the purest flavor expression of what it is in the field. If fermentation is not too harsh, you will be able to experience the most ‘untouched’ version of the coffee.”

We are thrilled and honored to partner with 575 Café to bring the first ever harvest from El Bocadillo to the world. As Herbert puts it, “Whenever you have a new farm, especially when conditions are atypical like the ones we have at El Bocadillo, it is imperative to get to know the coffees first. Hence, this is not a single-varietal release, but an exploration of the potential of a farm. Of course, everything is processed in a way that will enhance the flavor of the coffees, which is also necessary for introducing the farm to the world in the best possible way.”

* Note that this coffee is sold in 10oz quantity as opposed to the typical 12oz for our other coffees.