Colombia - Peñas Blancas - Estate 4 Washed

Vacuum box packaging 30 kg

🌱 Social project with real impact

Peñas Blancas Coffee Processing Center is not just a processing station – it is a transformative social project aimed at long-term improvement of living conditions for small coffee growers in the Acevedo, Huila region.

The station was established in response to fundamental problems that local farmers had been facing for many years:

• limited access to modern processing technologies,
• unstable quality and low purchase prices,
• minimal access to specialty and international markets.

Peñas Blancas removes these barriers by centralizing coffee processing under expert supervision, providing state-of-the-art infrastructure, technical support, and fair financial compensation. This allows even small producers to achieve quality that meets the highest standards of specialty coffee and to secure a more stable and dignified income.

🤝 Community-driven initiative

The Peñas Blancas project is built on the pillars of cooperation, education, and sustainability. The station functions as a community center where farmers, agronomists, and coffee experts meet.

Farmers are provided with:

- practical workshops focused on post-harvest processing,

- training in fermentation techniques,

- basics of quality control and working with micro-lots,

- consultancy in sustainable farming.

This knowledge has a direct impact on the final cup – higher quality means higher purchase prices, the possibility of reinvesting in the farm, and long-term economic stability.

Peñas Blancas also reinforces the sense of value of farmers' work. Through transparent pricing and direct trade relations, the project reduces economic insecurity and enables families to invest in education, infrastructure, and the future of upcoming generations.

👤 Ownership and Management

The Peñas Blancas Coffee Processing Center is led by a duo of visionaries: Nestor Lasso and Jhon Vergara, two respected producers from the Huila region who are at the forefront of the modern Colombian specialty scene.

Nestor Lasso

Nestor is a young, progressive farmer known worldwide for his experimental fermentation methods. His deep interest in microbiology, fermentation control, and working with varieties places him among the pioneers of a new generation of Colombian producers.
At Peñas Blancas, he is primarily responsible for:

• developing fermentation protocols,
• quality control,
• innovations in natural and anaerobic processes.

Jhon Vergara

Jhon brings a strong background in farm management, logistics, and post-harvest processes. His role includes:

• working with farmer communities,
• ensuring fair trade conditions,
• educating producers,
• stabilizing quality across individual lots.

Together, they have created a center that serves not only for coffee processing but as a platform for the development of the Acevedo region.

⚙️ Washed process in Peñas Blancas

Step by step:

Selective harvesting
Only fully ripe cherries with a high sugar content are harvested, by hand and in several passes.

Density sorting and flotation
Cherries are sorted in water to remove unripe and defective fruits.

Fermentation in stainless steel tank

to remove remaining mucilage for 18-36 hours.

Greenhouse drying
Cherries are spread in a foil-covered shelter in a single layer and then dried for 12–25 days with regular turning. 

Stabilization and dry milling
After reaching the target moisture content of 10.5–11%, the coffee rests in parchment, then is hulled, sorted, and prepared for export.

Flavor profile: Caramel, panela, peaches, citrus, floral aroma

Country of origin: Colombia

Region: Huila, Acevedo

Processing station: Peñas Blancas

Owners: Nestor Lasso and Jhoan Vergara

Farm: Smallholder farmers supplying cherries to the Peñas Blancas processing station

Farmer: Smallholder farmers supplying cherries to the Peñas Blancas processing station

Altitude: 1600-1900 m.a.s.l.

Variety: Castillo

Processing: Natural

Cupping Score: 85.25

Crop: Mitaca Crop 2025/2026