finca nogales mosto decaf

INTRO

This is the Arrayán lot from Finca Nogales — a single block of around 6,000 Caturra trees grown at 1,770 MASL in Bruselas, Pitalito, Huila. The trees are positioned to avoid the harshest midday sun whilst still benefiting from strong afternoon light. It's a considered farming decision that speaks to how deliberately this block is managed.

In this Caturra leans fruit-forward and creamy — red grape and lychee — with a rounder, more cushioned mouthfeel than you might expect from a washed Colombian. It's still clean and precise, but it lands a little deeper and softer.

THE PRODUCER

Finca Nogales is a family farm located just outside Bruselas, Pitalito — one of Colombia's most progressive hubs for advanced processing techniques. The farm was established in 1952, and today is stewarded by Oscar Hernández, a third-generation producer who has built on his family's legacy whilst embracing modern science and innovation.

The Nogales approach is meticulous: over 30 skilled pickers work the harvests, and Angie Hernández — Oscar's sister, a trained industrial engineer — oversees fermentation control at the microbiological level. The family gained international recognition when they placed first in Colombia's inaugural Cup of Excellence in 2005, a milestone that set the tone for what Los Nogales has continued to achieve.

The Arrayán lot specifically is home to around 6,000 Caturra trees, farmed with the same care and environmental consciousness that defines Nogales across all their lots.

THE PROCESS

The Sort-of-Washed Mosto Decaf process at Finca Nogales involves:

• 🍒 Selective Picking — Only fully ripe Caturra cherries are harvested by hand
• 💧 Flotation — Cherries are separated in water to remove any underripe, damaged, or low-density fruit
• 🧪 24-Hour Fermentation — Controlled fermentation with microbiological oversight by Angie Hernández
• 💧 Washing — Thoroughly washed; technically a washed coffee at this stage, hence "sort-of-washed"
• ☀️ Sun-Drying on Raised Beds — Slow drying before hulling; only Excelso-grade output is retained
• 💧 Hot Water Immersion (×2) — Beans are soaked in hot water twice to open porosity and extract caffeine
• 🧪 Mosto Soak (24 Hours) — Beans rest in "mosto" — a natural solvent derived from fermented coffee pulp or husk — for 24 hours
• 💧 Final Wash — All residues removed with a thorough washing stage
• ☀️ Re-Drying (~5 Days) — Coffee is dried again to restore balance and structure

The result is a decaf that genuinely tastes like coffee — sweet, structured, and fruit-forward, with none of the flatness typically associated with the category.

THE CUP

This Caturra from Nogales is fruit-forward and creamy, landing deeper and softer than its Typica counterpart from the same farm. The mouthfeel is distinctly round and cushioned — clean and precise, but with a warmth and weight that makes it feel complete.