Coffee Story
Don Javier Burbano Astudillo was born in El Tabor, San Agustín, Huila, and grew up on a coffee plantation, the sixth of eleven siblings. He completed fifth grade, but soon his life centred on rural labour, working alongside his father in the fields out of duty rather than choice.
At 17, seeking independence, he worked on neighboring farms and began his coffee farming journey with 500 Típica trees, which were lost in a landslide. Undeterred, he replanted 1,000 Caturra trees and sold locally roasted coffee. Upon moving to El Roble, he diversified with beans, lulo, and granadilla, but his passion for coffee remained. He later planted 1,500 Caturra trees and attempted 700 Tabi trees, though the latter struggled in the climate.
In 2019, he and his wife, Rosana, purchased land previously managed by their daughter, Carolina. They now grow 1,100 Tabi trees, focusing on specialty coffee. At 62, Don Javier has built a legacy as his children, Carolina and Julián, join the Monkaaba project, where coffee connects their generations. For Don Javier, coffee is not just a livelihood but a symbol of heritage and hope, embodying his life’s experiences and love for the land.
The specific Tabi variety lot is picked and collected at peak ripeness every three weeks. The cherries are pulped the day after collection and undergo a 72-hour fermentation in sealed plastic bags. Following this, the seeds are rinsed, and the coffee is moved to a dryer in the municipality of El Tambor, where it is dried for 15 days.
