Inza province colombia

multiple Generational pockets of mountainside pride

The Beauty of Colombia takes many forms, but when you notice through it’s coffee, it can stop you in your tracks. Year after year, I have taken a shine to the coffees from the Inza Province and showing people the diversity of flavor within a relatively small, remote area. 2024 gives us three different lots from Inza to remind us why Colombia is so special in the world of coffee.

Because it lies in the middle of snow-capped Huila and the Purace volcano, its lands are fertile with abundant forests. The Inzá area is part of the national archaeological park called Tierradentro. This park is known worldwide for having the largest concentration of monumental underground tombs from the pre-Hispanic era. Inhabited by indigenous agricultural societies from 600 to 900 BC, the area was penetrated by the Spanish in the 16th century. The original inhabitants of the area were displaced, but other indigenous groups—Paeces, Pijaos, Yalcones and Timanaes—put aside their own disputes and united to face the conquerors. Now, the Paece populations that inhabit the region claim its continuity and do not forget their ancestral customs.

Coffee producers in Inzá often share similar values. Growing coffee is a family tradition and is one of the most exported agricultural crops, next to cut flowers, in Colombia. It's common for land to be handed down through inheritance, giving each farmer 1-2 hectares that produces around 1300 kilos of parchment coffee per season. Each family maintains their own farms throughout the year and hire local community members during the harvest season. Inza is primarily planted with Caturra, but hidden pockets of Bourbon and Typica can be found in certain fortunate subregions that grow at altitudes from 1700-2200 masl. Cherry is processed for defects, depulped and dried at each farm, before loading parchment coffee onto a mule for transport or driven to the nearest dry mill. When coffee’s demand wanes, most producers focus on growing food for their community or take action on improving construction of their processing areas or homes. Community support is essential to the success of continuous quality focused coffee production.

Asorcafe is a producer group founded in 2004 by ten coffee growers who were tired of selling their coffee to parchment buyers who only offered prices below the national market. Asorcafé exudes an entrepreneurial spirit as they have become leaders of their coffee growing region. In conjunction with private and state organizations, they provides aid to their members including subsidies for domestic economy, education, job training, and healthcare services. For most people here, coffee is all they have known since childhood; it’s a product that is special to Inza. In moments of difficulties, good things come with the chance to learn, to get inventive, and ultimately find strategies to come out ahead. Though coffee has been a part of life since birth, it wasn’t until forming Asorcafe that most of these producers made the change to focus on specialty quality coffee production. They began to separate lots to isolate levels of quality, prioritized caring for the environment by abandoning the mono-crop approach of planting coffee only, started reforesting and integrating multi-crop farming that provides each farm with everything you need. This has been a model that many in the association have integrated. Producing specialty coffee offers the opportunity to receive premiums, which many families invest into building solar dryers, buying a good depulper, building a good wet mill set-up to make the processing easier in addition to saving. ASORCAFE is incredibly well-organized with a laser-focus on ethics; they don’t allow corruption in their ranks, and this value shows in the cup. This has altered the way of life there in the mountains; farmers feel good about working in coffee, feel happy going to the farm, from planting a tree, to harvesting, the whole process. There’s a saying, “It isn’t the coffee that’s special, it’s the producer. You can have a very good variety, but if you don’t cultivate it well, you’ll never produce a good coffee.” 

Here are the three villages within Inza that are available:

Alto de topa

Ignacio Quintero

• Origin - Colombia

• Region - Cauca

• Province - Inza

• Municipality - Pedregal

• Village - Alto de Topa

• Altitude - 1800-2000 masl

• Varieties - Caturra, Colombia, Castillo, Typica

The producer of this coffee is Ignacio Quintero, whose farm sits at 1800-2000 masl in the community of Alto de Topa, and is a proud member ASORCAFE. He has planted his farm with Caturra, Colombia, Castillo, and Typica varietals. Ignacio’s coffee is a beautiful display of the depth of flavor in coffee from Inza. Sweet spice and molasses aromatics entice you towards the treats that await you in the cup. Poached pear and raspberry stew together with dark honey in a pool of butter. This can only be ladled onto a slice of pecan pie with butter creme frosting quenelle-d atop with shaved chocolate. The lingering finish hints at cinnamon as everything finds its place and balance. Thank you, Mr. Quintero.

el tabor

Hermanos Quipo

• Origin - Colombia

• Region - Cauca

• Province - Inza

• Municipality - Pedregal

• Village - El Tabor

• Altitude - 1800-1900 masl

• Varieties - Caturra, Colombia

The brothers of the Quipo family in El Tabor, which farm between 1800-1900 masl, grow Caturra and Colombia varietals. The Hermanos Quipo work hard to preserve the magic of the mountains, as they continue family traditions. Playful, like sippin’ on a cherry cola, yet as mysterious as tamari almonds, this lot shows quite a range. From the bubbly start, moments of cranberry and green apple mingle amongst spice before continuing to unfold to the stability of dark chocolate that centers your senses. From this cavernous chocolate core, a staircase of toffee and tamari offers you the ascension that leads you back to cola. This is the richness and the riches of El Tabor!

La Palmera

• Origin - Colombia

• Region - Cauca

• Province - Inza

• Municipality - Pedregal

• Village - La Palmera

• Altitude - 1600-2000 masl

• Varieties - Caturra, Castillo, Colombia

The community of La Palmera is nestled in the mountains between 1600-2000 masl, where Caturra, Castillo, and Colombia varietals flourish. This lot represents the community’s efforts toward quality in a collective pursuit of sustainability. A handful of small producers show us what life in La Palmera is like. This expressive coffee delights over and over again. Tart and lively from the first sip, blackberry, dark plum, and red grapes splash upon the scene. The floral aspect of pink lemons and winesap apple infuse into a panela transition towards a candyland experience as we sit down to a plate of vanilla creme cookies. Buttery and feeling rich like crème brûlée, we begin to lighten with a returning floraled snap and lingering butterscotch. La Palmera is a beautiful place, the way it tastes here.