Origin: Colombia
Producer: Hermides Meneses
Farm: La Esperanza
Region: Huila > Tarqui > El Triunfo
Variety: Pink Bourbon
Process: Extended Fermentation Washed
Altitude: 1,950 masl
Harvest: 2025

In April 2025, we traveled to Colombia to take part in the Colombia Washed Coffee Festival (CWCF)—a competition dedicated exclusively to coffees produced through traditional washed processing. This event is co-organized by Colombian exporter Fairfield Trading and Japan’s SYU・HA・RI, and celebrates the craft and precision of washed coffees.

Alejandro Renjifo, founder of Fairfield Trading, has a deep understanding of Colombia’s unique climate and remains devoted to the classic washed process. In a country where rainy and dry seasons overlap in complex patterns, methods such as natural or honey processing often take too long to dry, making it difficult to maintain consistent quality. CWCF began last year as a meaningful initiative born from Alejandro’s desire to support and elevate entire coffee-producing communities through the pursuit of quality and tradition.

We believe that the clean, bright clarity and familiar fruit sweetness found in washed coffees are what make them so timeless. Quality in coffee is not determined by flamboyant flavors alone—it’s also the quiet beauty that reveals itself in everyday drinking.

In the mountainous village of El Triunfo, Tarqui, in Huila, Colombia, Hermides Meneses runs a small coffee farm called La Esperanza—which means “hope” in Spanish. The name carries the dreams and hard work of the Meneses family.

The Meneses family has been growing coffee for two generations, but Hermides himself used to cultivate fruit trees for many years. About five years ago, he became convinced that coffee had great potential and value both domestically and internationally, and decided to dedicate himself fully to coffee production. Today, his coffee provides a vital livelihood for his family.

The farm sits at an altitude of 1,950 meters in the cool climate of the Serranía de Minas mountains, where the average temperature is 17°C—an ideal environment for coffee cultivation. Across his one-hectare plot (roughly one and a half soccer fields), he grows only Pink Bourbon, a special variety selected after consulting with neighboring farmers for its remarkable flavor potential and suitability to the area.

Hermides follows traditional farming practices, walking through his fields regularly to check on the trees and removing pests by hand. Fertilizer is applied every four months according to the growth cycle of the plants. Thanks to this careful management, he produces around 25 bags of dried parchment coffee annually—each one a testament to his family’s effort and care.

After harvest, the cherries are first rested for 12 hours before depulping without water. They are then fermented for up to 70 hours (about three days) in sealed plastic containers. This extended fermentation helps preserve the intrinsic characteristics of the coffee. After fermentation, the coffee is washed once, placed in bags, and rested again for 12 hours. Every piece of equipment is thoroughly cleaned between stages to ensure hygiene throughout the process.

Drying takes place on raised, roofed drying beds known locally as “tunnels.” The beans are dried slowly over 20 to 30 days until the moisture content reaches 10.5%. This careful drying process is essential for durability and shelf stability. Once dried, the parchment is double-bagged in protective and jute sacks, stored on pallets away from the walls for 15 days, and then prepared for export.

One of Hermides’ defining traits is that he never sells coffee while it’s still wet. He always ensures it is dried completely to parchment, adding both value and stability to his product.

At the 2025 Colombia Washed Coffee Festival—a competition that exclusively judges traditionally washed coffees—Hermides’ Pink Bourbon ranked 7th out of 47 entries. His 320 kg lot received a premium price of 4,336,766 pesos (approx. ¥170,000), and sold for a total of 12,131,324 pesos (approx. ¥480,000). The coffee was later exported to Japan, where it was met with great appreciation.

During harvest, Hermides employs two seasonal workers and provides lodging for those traveling from other towns. He and his family are enrolled in the government’s social welfare program SISBEN, which grants access to education and healthcare. Since 2024, he has been delivering his coffee to the warehouse of FFT Colombia.

True to the name “La Esperanza” – “Hope”, Hermides continues to pour his passion into producing coffee that embodies his family’s dreams and earns recognition around the world.