Our very first offering, Santa Elena, comes from Finca Santa Elena near Ciudad Bolivar, Antioquia. Situated in the luscious green mountains of Colombian coffee-growing country, Finca Santa Elena produces some of the finest coffee we at Encantado have ever tasted. When you look at all the time and effort that went into producing this coffee, it is clear why the taste is so outstanding. Let's dive into the enchanting world of Finca Santa Elena and learn more.
Samuel and Paula left their professional careers in 2000 to start Finca Santa Elena. Both have an incredible passion for coffee and their country, Colombia. Samuel brought his background as a scientist to Santa Elena and has innovated coffee growing and processing techniques that produce superior coffee and reduce its environmental impact. He has become a research leader in the Colombian coffee industry and has even worked with governmental agencies such as COLCIENCIAS and Ruta N to improve agricultural practices.
One of Samuel's projects is a biorefinery which he created with a goal of making Finca Santa Elena 100% energy self-sufficient. His biorefinery works by turning biomass produced on the finca, such as discarded coffee cherries, and breaking them down into simpler products (proteins, carbohydrates, triglycerides) which can then be converted into fuel. The finca uses no harmful pesticides or chemicals either which could harm the land and the workers. Samuel also uses an ecological wet mill to process coffee cherries, which uses just 10-20% of the water that normal processing machines do.
Pictured above: the ecological wet mill used at Finca Santa Elena
These environmentally sustainable technologies allow Finca Santa Elena to exist in harmony with its Andean ecosystem. These technologies are not the only things that Samuel has innovated on the finca. Over the last two decades, Samuel and the workers on the finca have carefully selected only the best-producing coffee trees with the highest quality beans to propagate. This process has resulted in a unique feature of this coffee: its 20-brix rating. A brix score is measured in degrees, with each degree being one gram of sucrose per 100 grams of solution as calculated by a refractometer. Essentially, it measures the concentration of sugar in green coffee which is used to determine the ripeness of the coffee. Samuel tests all the green coffee processed at the finca to ensure a brix score of 20 or higher. This high standard lends the coffee produced here a smooth flavor with rich notes of chocolate and blackberry.
Pictured above: Samuel, Paula, and workers inspecting coffee tree seedlings in their nursery
Paula has brought her own passions to the finca as well. One of Finca Santa Elena's core missions is to provide opportunities for women in the specialty coffee industry, a traditionally male-dominated sector. Paula lends her insider knowledge to other women that the finca hires to help them succeed in the field. The finca operates under a system that they call the "cherry center model." This model means not only producing the best quality coffee possible but also improving the community while doing so. Paula and Samuel offer competitive pay and extra premiums for the selective coffee-picking that they require on their finca.
Samuel and Paula have a vision for their finca and for the coffee industry in Colombia - one where everyone wins. We at Encantado Coffee want to support their efforts for sustainability and fair labor practices. That's why we pay over 140% fair market price for our coffee. By buying a bag of Santa Elena coffee, you are directly supporting their mission as well as getting one of the finest coffees available. Buy a bag here.
Pictured Above: View of Finca Santa Elena situated in the Andes Mountains
Want to learn more? Check out this interview with Paula and Samuel on Where Coffee Takes You.