The Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta is an imposing mountain range in the very northern part of Colombia. Though close in proximity to the Caribbean coast, the highest snow capped peak, Pico Cristobal Colon, is estimated to reach around 18,700 feet. Not only does this make it the tallest mountain in Colombia, but its prominence is 5th highest in the world. This area is extremely remote and very difficult to access because of the dramatic landscapes and intense biodiversity of its tropical forests. All of these factors contribute to the mystery and allure of coffee sourcing in this area and it is almost impossible to find coffee from this region anywhere in the United States. In many ways, the mystery, allure and challenges of the area brought part of Futura’s co-founding team, Felipe, Elisa & Sebastian, to begin dreaming of land in the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta that could not only produce amazing coffee, but also make a strong local impact with other coffee producers. In his own words, I wanted to share Sebastian’s story and history with the Delagua Coffee Paradise project along with the introduction of this particular coffee: “We started this project in 2016 with the idea of growing coffee in the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, a region of our country that had been deeply impacted by conflict but offered the perfect ecosystem for coffee farming at high elevations and drying coffee at sea level. This area has always been known for organic coffee production and the strong presence of indigenous communities. After searching for farms for more than a year, we finally found this beautiful one—surrounded by lush forests, with excellent water access and well-preserved land. The farm was originally planted with the Castillo variety, which we decided to keep while also introducing some new exotic varieties like Geisha, Mokka and SL-28. One of the defining characteristics of this farm is the abundant shade, which is especially important because the Sierra Nevada has only one harvest season (many regions of Colombia have two harvests), and the dry season lasts a long time. Preserving the forest and shade trees has allowed us to be more resilient during periods when water is scarce. With this in mind, we decided to plant SL-28, a drought-resistant variety developed in Kenya, as the region’s climate made it a suitable choice. The results were remarkable—the SL-28 adapted exceptionally well. We planted the farm in 2017, and our first harvest took place at the end of 2020. SL-28 has always been one of our favorite varieties. It is quite rare to find in Colombia and offers an exotic flavor profile of black currant, olives, and chocolate, complemented by a creamy body. To ensure optimal drying conditions, we decided to process our coffees at a separate facility located at sea level in Santa Marta, a city with a truly unique environment. It is home to a dry tropical forest, one of the rarest ecosystems in the world. Although we are at sea level, the climate is not as humid as one might expect; instead, the environment feels almost desert-like. Our drying facility benefits from constant wind and abundant sunlight, which presents a challenge—rather than speeding up the drying process, as many producers must do, we had to slow it down to prevent overexposure. To achieve this, we covered our drying beds, carefully controlling the drying time. After years of experimentation, we can confidently say that this is the best drying facility we have built across our different coffee projects. It provides the perfect conditions for producing both natural and honey-processed coffees, allowing us to bring out the best in every bean.” Delagua Coffee Paradise, true to its name, is an incredibly special place. As we invite you to experience the beautiful SL-28 varietal of coffee, the hard work, attention to detail and commitment to excellence that Futura and Delagua stand for, will shine through.