Colombia – Jorge Elías Rojas Vásquez, Finca La Roca ‎
‎
Jorge Elías Rojas Vásquez was born on December 22, 1988, in La Armenia, Planadas, Tolima. The youngest of eight siblings in a coffee-growing family, Jorge began working on the family farm at the age of 12, after losing his father early in childhood. In 2010, he acquired Finca La Roca, located in La Armenia at 1,857 meters above sea level. The farm is surrounded by nature reserves, waterfalls, and exceptional biodiversity, with panoramic views over Colombia’s coffee mountains. ‎
‎
Today, Jorge’s son, Derian Felipe Rojas Trujillo, is already following in his footsteps — involved in everything from roasting samples and measuring Brix levels on ripe cherries to brewing the family’s coffee with remarkable passion. ‎
‎
Jorge’s breakthrough came in 2015, when he sold his coffee through ASOPEP (Association of Ecological Producers of Planadas). The outstanding quality of his lots earned him membership in the organization and the opportunity to refine his harvesting and processing practices. Since 2017, he has been dedicated to research and experimentation in post-harvest methods. He holds a diploma in coffee quality and drying from Tecnicafé and, in 2022, earned his Q Processing Level 1 – Generalist certification from the Coffee Quality Institute. ‎
‎
Fermentation ‎
This lot was processed using the washed method, starting with a careful hand selection of ripe cherries at peak maturity. After depulping, the coffee underwent a 48-hour anaerobic fermentation in sealed tanks. Within this controlled, oxygen-free environment, the beans developed refined sweetness, bright acidity, and layered aromatics. ‎
‎
Following fermentation, the beans were dried mechanically for 180 hours at a constant temperature of 38 °C. This slow and even drying process preserves delicate aromatic compounds, resulting in a clean, stable profile with exceptional clarity and balance in the cup. ‎
‎
‎
‎
‎