Colombia - DECAF Caturra Washed Milk chocolate, dates, apple Luz Helena was raised in Armenia, Colombia, and has spent the past 20 years producing coffee. She owns Maracay, an 8-hectare farm situated at 1,450 meters above sea level in Armenia, Quindío. She is the mother of Carlos and Felipe, co-founders of Cofinet, and the wife of Jairo Arcila. Her interest in coffee grew from listening to her husband talk about his work on coffee farms and as a dry mill manager. Wanting to become more involved, Luz began learning how to care for coffee plants and understand the steps required to produce high-quality, ripe cherries. In the beginning, managing insects was particularly difficult, and she often relied on Jairo’s knowledge for guidance. In recent years, her focus has shifted toward producing specialty coffee. With support from Cofinet, she has been able to refine her farming practices and concentrate on harvesting the best possible cherries. Once picked at peak ripeness, the cherries are processed at Cofinet’s La Pradera station. This washed Caturra lot undergoes careful quality control, including hand-sorting and flotation, before a precisely managed 30-hour underwater fermentation that enhances flavor while preserving its natural character. After fermentation, the coffee is pulped, washed, and dried on raised beds or in drying stations, with close monitoring to reach an ideal moisture content of 9.5–11%. The decaf version is processed using the sugar cane ethyl acetate (EA) method, which maintains the coffee’s distinctive profile while enhancing its sweetness.