COLOMBIA, El Puente, Pitalito, Huila

Producer: Beneficio El Puente.

Growing altitude: 1550-1950m above sea level.

Botanical variety: Caturra, Castillo, Colombia. 

Process: Washed.

Tasting notes: Caramel, vanilla, cinnamon, apple, stone fruit flavours.

Roast date: 8 August, 2025

El Puente, Spanish for “The Bridge”—takes its name from the small footbridge that crosses a river near its location in Palestina, Southern Huila. More than just a name, El Puente represents a bridge between local farmers and better opportunities, quality, and market access.

Built in 2018, El Puente Beneficio is a community micro-mill, created to serve the processing needs of more than 100 surrounding smallholder farms. Many of these farms lack the infrastructure to process coffee efficiently, and this central facility offers a collective solution—allowing producers to focus on cultivation while the mill ensures professional post-harvest care.

El Puente is a pilot project, built with support from community investment initiatives aimed at improving rural livelihoods through sustainable development. One of the most impactful practices at El Puente is its pre-processing premium payment model:

Farmers are paid a premium even before processing begins. This incentivises high-quality cultivation and careful harvesting practices. It reinforces the value of quality at the farm level.

El Puente is equipped to handle washed, honey, and natural processes, depending on the lot. This particular selection underwent a washed process, meticulously executed as follows:

Reception & Floating. Freshly harvested cherries are floated to remove low-density fruit. Brix levels are measured to determine optimal fermentation time. De-pulping & Fermentation cherries are de-pulped and fermented in tanks for 30 to 42 hours. Washing & Drying, beans are washed clean of mucilage. Dried for 15 to 18 days in parabolic sun dryers, allowing for slow, even moisture reduction Resting & Stabilization. Coffee is reposed (rested) post-drying to stabilize moisture before export

El Puente is more than a mill—it is a collaborative platform where farmers, processors, and exporters work together to elevate the region’s coffee potential. By combining shared resources with intentional quality control and social investment, El Puente is helping to reshape rural coffee production in Huila—one lot at a time.

“At El Puente, every step—from cherry to export—is designed to honour the farmer’s work and unlock the true value of their coffee.”