Jose Galindez

La Primavera sits in the hills of Bruselas, Pitalito, where José Oliver Galindez grew up working alongside his father in the coffee fields. The land began its transition from cattle pasture to coffee in the mid-1990s, initially planted with Caturra and Castillo. José later studied agricultural engineering and worked in the fertilizer industry before finding his way back to coffee. His return brought a different perspective to the farm, combining inherited knowledge with a growing interest in quality, experimentation, and agricultural research. Today, 17 of La Primavera’s 25 hectares are planted with coffee, while eight remain protected as a natural reserve.

Caturra has been present at La Primavera since its earliest years of coffee production, but José’s approach to it has continued to evolve. As specialty coffee developed in Colombia, he began exploring new varieties and processing techniques, looking for greater expression from the fruit already growing on the farm. His experience as a coffee taster, beginning in 2005, further shaped this pursuit. Rather than treating tradition and innovation as opposing ideas, José allows one to inform the other, using a familiar Colombian variety as the foundation for a coffee that feels distinctly contemporary.

For this lot, Caturra cherries are handpicked at peak ripeness before being submerged in water to remove lower-density fruit. A second careful selection removes any remaining underripe cherries. The fruit is then sealed in tanks for 100 hours of anaerobic fermentation, creating the controlled environment that defines the character of this natural process. Once fermentation is complete, the cherries are moved to African beds and dried slowly for approximately 25 days. It is a deliberate process built around selection, time, and careful control rather than intervention for its own sake.

The result is an expressive cup where the intensity of the natural process remains balanced by clarity and sweetness. Ripe plum gives the coffee its deeper fruit character, while strawberry brings a brighter, more immediate freshness. A sugar cane sweetness runs underneath, bringing the profile together and giving the cup a clean, lingering finish. There is generosity here without excess, allowing the character of the fruit and the structure of Caturra to remain recognizable. A vivid interpretation of La Primavera, shaped equally by its variety, its place, and José’s continuing curiosity.