Ignacio Rodriguez inherited Finca La Palmera after his father expanded it from 6 to 165 hectares through decades of hard work.

Hacienda La Palmera is a historic farm founded in 1969 by Don Octavio Rodríguez, a former medical student. Hailing from a coffee-growing family in Cauca, Don Octavio returned to his agricultural roots when he began cultivating coffee on the 6-hectare estate, located in Colombia’s Caldas region—part of the renowned Coffee Triangle.

Today, Ignacio focuses on specialty coffee production, inspired by the "magic" he believes great coffee can evoke—hence the name "Embrujo" for this lot, meaning “spell” in Spanish. He is investing in a lab and microbiology facility to enhance processing quality and consistency.

As one of the few large farms in a region dominated by smallholders, La Palmera provides stable, year-round employment. Workers receive housing, meals, and premium wages, and 48 women—many single mothers—handle vital quality control tasks. Ignacio also practices sustainable farming by using coffee pulp as fertilizer, aiming to reduce chemical use by up to 25%, though generating enough organic compost remains a challenge.

Coffee at La Palmera is carefully handpicked by skilled laborers under the supervision of a "patron", who ensures that only fully ripe, red cherries are selected. To maintain this high standard, Ignacio pays pickers above the regional average.

After harvest, the cherries are brought to the on-site processing facility, where they are floated in water to remove underripe or overripe fruit. From there, they move along conveyor belts where women manually sort the cherries, removing any that are damaged.

The sorted pink bourbon cherries are then placed in bioreactors—sealed tanks designed for fermentation— where carbon dioxide (CO2) is injected. These tanks, installed in 2022, can hold up to 4,000 kg of cherry—significantly more than the 20 kg plastic barrels typically used for fermentation in Colombia. This larger capacity enables more consistent, extended fermentation batches.

During fermentation, microorganisms naturally consume oxygen and release CO2. However, by injecting CO2 directly, it activates a different group of microbes that thrive in low-oxygen environments, leading to a unique flavor profile compared to traditional aerobic fermentation. The cherries ferment in this CO2-rich environment for 180 hours.

Once fermentation is complete, the cherries are dried using mechanical dryers. This method gives Ignacio precise control over drying conditions and supports consistent processing at scale. The dried coffee is then packed in GrainPro bags and rested for one month before export.

In the cup: Grape must, dark chocolate, orange peel, intense, balanced wine-like acidity.

Recommended resting period: Allow at least 10 days from the roast date.