Linarco Rodriguez

The Rodriguez family have owned the land they farm on for about 25 years, and see it as a true family enterprise. Most of the farm work is accomplished by Linarco, his mother, sister and nephew. Because of this, Linarco feels a responsibility to make sure that they are able to bring in a stable income for their work, and finds this through working with speciality coffee.

Linarco has worked in several positions within the industry, working for many years as a buyer for a larger Bogotá-based company before being laid off during the pandemic. Since then, Linarco has been able to spend much more time on his own farm, dedicating himself to quality.

This has resulted in a 2nd and a 13th place in the Cup of Excellence.

Linarco has also built a lab in Palestina, where local cuppers and producers are able to train with the Alliance for Coffee Excellence, and roast and taste their own coffees. This deep understanding of the coffee market, from years of visiting other farms and cupping with international judges, has led to consistently excellent coffees from Linarco’s family farm, including this lot.

This washed Pink Bourbon showcases all of the clear varietal characteristics we have come to expect, with a bright citric acidity profile underpinning crisp florals and a deep tropical sweetness.

Linarco grows coffee near the town of Palestina in southern Huila, one of the most renowned growing regions in Colombia. Huila’s volcanic soils, undisturbed by the intensive agriculture seen further north, are full of nutrition, and alongside high altitude and great sun exposure, lead to excellent conditions for producing high quality coffees. We also see a great number of driven and agile small farmers here, many of whom have family history in coffee, but haven’t necessarily been working on the same large industrialised farms for generations, as we see in more established coffee regions.

This leads to a willingness to experiment, to innovate, and create lots that fulfil ever changing needs in the speciality coffee market. One example of this is Pink Bourbon, an Ethiopian strain re-discovered in Huila, an exotic varietal that exhibits crisp and clean aromatic character, often with floral and tropical elements.