VERY SPECIAL
Victor Felix has been in coffee since a young age as his parents are coffee growers, from whom he has learned about the crop. He has worked in coffee for a long time and when he got married, he decided to buy his own farm to start producing coffee with his own family.
Along with his wife, Blanca Rubi, they bought their own farm in the rural area of Pitalito, south of the Huila region, and named it La Fortuna. From the start, he knew that the piece of land would bring good fortune and luck.
Their journey in coffee has been going strong for 35 years now and it was 3 years ago they made the switch to specialty coffee.
This change has also brought a change of mindset for Victor.
He is know keen to learn, he thinks more about quality and hence has acquired more knowledge that he has put into practice, improving the cup quality and the coffee trees. But also, and most important to him, coffee has united the family much more and he is proud that they all work together, achieving what they have today.
The future looks bright, but of course it requires a big effort and work, as for example, one of the main challenges they face are the shortage of work force. As future plans for the farm, Victor Felix wants to improve his infrastructure, have new varieties, and also plant native trees for the future.
WHAT IS X-GRADE?
The “X-Grade” denomination or program is a relatively new initiative by coffee importer Caravela, currently selling mostly within their US customer base.
One of the motivators behind X-grade was to open new opportunities for buyers to purchase exotic varietals and processing alternatives that Caravela’s producers are experimenting with or implementing at their farms. Another drive was to set a framework within the exotic coffee market, as the global demand grows and a lot of producers decide to run experiments on a farm level.
With the X-grade program, “we commit to purchasing exotics at better prices only IF we are buying other qualities (RTB-AA) from the producers and IF the coffee is excellent quality” says Caravela.
“The idea is to continue buying different quality tiers from producers, from 83 to 90+, but it is VERY important to note that we are not just supporting a trend but more than anything assuring producers can sell as much as possible from what they have. Yes, these are exotic beauties.
We have been working with the PECA team to understand the processes and varieties to support producers and help them minimize risk while processing this type of coffees. Still, again we do not encourage producers to experiment with the whole farm or only focus on those type of coffees unless they already have the experience and the customers to sell the lots too.”
BREW, SHARE AND ENJOY
Now you know a bit more about the background it’s time to enjoy this awesome coffee! If you don’t know where to start, you can use Reuben’s brewing recipe (coming soon, see below).
You can also try your favourite method and play around with some settings to get the best of it. Don’t forget to tell us how it went, adding your recipe here, via email or on Instagram at @samplecoffee.
We look forward to hearing about your experience with this VS coffee!
