12 oz.

Vereda Los Cauchos, San Agustin in Huila
Coffea Arabica, Caturra and Typica

Around 1000 B.C., a pre-Columbian civilization known today as “San Agustin” flourished in the mountains where the Magdalena River is born. The San Agustin culture is characterized by imposing monolithic sculptures and tombs created on hilltops throughout the region. This civilization disappeared mysteriously before the arrival of the Spanish Conquerors, leaving nothing but its burial sites.

The archaeological sites were discovered in the 1960’s by a group of explorers, led by the local inhabitants. Among the better known sites discovered we find “El Alto de Los Idolos”, a group of several burial sites atop a hill dating back to the 1st century B.C. Los Idolos is grown very near from “El Alto de Los Idolos”, by sixty four small coffee growers gathered together under the banner of “Grupo Asociativo San Agustin Los Cauchos”, a coffee growers co-operative founded in 2001.

These coffee growers got together from the desire of obtaining a higher income through the sale of high-quality coffee, choosing the name Los Idolos because of its symbolism and as a way of honouring the region’s ancestral origins. So far, the group has focused on standardizing practices and improving their beneficios and drying patios, obtaining small increases in quality each time. This process has galvanized the commitment of the members, who feel proud of each small achievement and know that every improvement is a step forward towards their initial goal. Due to the declining coffee prices, a number of small coffee growers of the region started to cultivate illicit crops in between their coffee trees in order to obtain some extra money. But the “easy money” that arrived and the presence of illegal organizations eventually led to increasing social tensions.

Since 2002, the members of Los Cauchos eliminated all their illicit crops they had and committed to producing high-quality coffee instead. Thanks to continuous feedback from clients about their cup quality, the members of Los Cauchos have gradually increased the quality of their coffee, obtaining premiums between 35% and 50% above the internal market price. This increased income has helped them invest in improving their infrastructure and their quality of life. And in 2006 Los Cauchos became a Fair Trade Certified Co-operative. The members of Los Cauchos are seen as a light of hope for the smallholder farmers of this beautiful and once prosperous region, being a focalised point of potential development, which is legal and sustainable over the long-term.

Complex and sweet with flavours of apple, pineapple, and strawberry, with a soft texture, balanced acidity, and juicy finish.