The small city of Pitalito, located in southern Huila, thrives on coffee. This mountainous town is lined by numerous slopes and high peaks, almost all filled with coffee. The movement in and around the city ebbs and flows with the rhythm of work on the farms that surround the area. In the Fall of 2016, we tasted coffee from Nelson Rodriguez’s farm for the first time and instantly fell in love. We’ve been working alongside him ever since.

Pitalito is the largest producer of high-quality coffee in Colombia. The region is characterized by its rich biodiversity and countless bodies of water and is consequently one of the areas with the highest number of designated protected territories. The climate is humid with relatively cool temperatures throughout the year ranging from 50-75 degrees.

Pitalito is the largest producer of high-quality coffee in Colombia.
Nelson’s quaint, secluded farm is just a short trip up the mountainside from the city. The 2-hectare farm is abundant with Typica and Caturra varieties and complementary crops that sit on steep slopes overlooking miles of lush, picturesque views, spanning southern Huila at 1750 meters high. Once harvested, Nelson lets the coffee rest in the fruit for 24 hours before pulping on site. It then undergoes a slow thirty six hour fermentation before being slowly dried on covered, raised beds for three to four weeks.

Nelson harvests coffee nearly year around. His largest season takes place between November and February, with small harvests happening periodically throughout most of the year. We purchase all of Nelson’s specialty grade coffee scoring 85 and above, reserving certain lots for our Six One Six and Third Coast blends, while his most expressive and punchy lots are sold as Pitalito.
We are delighted that we can share Nelson’s skillful craftsmanship embodied in this coffee. The flavors in the cup stand out as being superbly sweet with a syrupy body. Expect to taste plum, savory depth, green apple acidity, and creamy milk chocolate.
Madcap Newsletter
Don’t miss a coffee release! Sign up for our email newsletter to get the latest news from Madcap direct to your inbox.