Price range: €19,90 through €68,00
Origin: Huila, Colombia
Producer: Rafael Aya
Variety: Chilli bourbon
Process: Washed – 130 hour fermentation
Altitude: 1750m
Harvest: November 2024
Aromatic profile: Lemongrass, floral, black tea
We met Rafael at his farm La Virginia in January 2025.
We were impressed by his unusual approach to processing coffee: long fermentation in cherries to increase body and complexity, followed by washing to enhance the brightness and floral notes of Huila.
Rafael Aya has spent over 20 years growing coffee. Originally from Tolima, he moved to Huila at the age of 17, where he met his wife, Elvira. Together, they built their home and farm, La Virginia, where they cultivate three and a half hectares of coffee alongside various fruits, vegetables and sugarcane. Since 2016, Rafael has been constantly innovating to improve quality. Nowadays, he collaborates with Azahar.
After manual harvesting, the ripe cherries are fermented for 130 hours. Then, they’re depulped, washed and dried.
