Colombia Regional Collective: Luis Alberto Motta

This year we’re celebrating our alliance with Colombia’s coffee industry and its rich history of producing some of the most delightful, sought after and recognised coffees in the world.

Showcasing a collection of three carefully curated filter coffees, our Colombia Regional Collective aims to shine a light on the flavour profiles and nuances between coffees coming from Huila, Tolima and Cauca, while accentuating the talent of its producers.

Our journey through the various Colombian microclimates starts in Huila, and our trilogy begins with the work of Luis Alberto Motta. 

HUILA: 

Located in the South of Colombia, Huila sits close to the Equator and benefits from high altitudes. Due to cooler temperatures, cherry at these altitudes ripen slower, therefore, developing the bright and distinct cup quality Huila is celebrated for. Famous and respected in the speciality sector for producing coffees with sweet acidity, intense aromas and texturally rich caramel notes, Huila received Denomination of Origin in 2013. One of our favourite producing regions, we feel Luis Alberto’s lot not only shines a light but encapsulates the processing know-how and tradition of growing coffee that Huila has to offer. 

LUIS ALBERTO MOTTA: 

Luis Alberto grew up on his family’s coffee farm and since the age of five, knew coffee was his life’s passion. Selling the land inherited from his father to invest in a bigger farm, he has successfully expanded his plantation from 6,000 to 10,000 trees of Tabi and Caturra over the past forty years. For the past few years, Luis Alberto has been working closely with Caravela who has introduced him to new fertilisers and farming practices while teaching him how to work with budgets and investing. As a result, Luis Alberto has seen a significant increase in both the quality of his produce and profitability.

When we asked Luis Alberto what he would like people to know about him and his coffee, he had the following to say:

“I like when people can feel the flavour and aroma of my coffee so that they understand that they really are drinking a good coffee. To me, it is important that people know that I grew up growing coffee alongside my dad, that the climate and soils of this region are really good, and that I work on improving the quality of my coffee every day.

I want to invite people to come and visit us so they can discover my region and see all the hard work that is put into producing the highest quality coffee, despite the rough economic and infrastructure conditions. I am really happy to be able to produce high-quality coffee, and I hope that these customers will keep buying my coffee and taste the flavours of my region.”

To get the best from Luis Alberto’s coffee, we recommend you brew as a pour-over. Sweet and sugary with hints of blackberry when hot, it opens as it cools with slightly more nutty flavours taking the lead into a raw honey and papaya finish with its delicate body carrying all the way through. One to savour from the beginning to the end, we hope you enjoy!