EL REFUGIO - Colombia

About El Refugio

El Refugio is a family-run coffee farm in Colombia, established by the Agudelo Uribe family in 2020. What began as a way to spend more time together and reconnect with nature has grown into a project dedicated to producing exceptional speciality coffee.

Nestled on the slopes surrounding the Ruiz Volcano, the farm benefits from rich volcanic soils that help create coffees with remarkable clarity and character. Across 7.5 hectares, the family cultivates a range of sought-after varieties including Geisha, Sidra, Bourbon and Ethiopian heirloom selections.

Before coffee was planted, the land was used for livestock grazing. Since taking ownership, the family has transformed the farm by planting native trees throughout the coffee fields. These trees provide natural shade, protect the young coffee plants from strong mountain winds and help improve soil health by naturally returning nutrients to the land. Just as importantly, they create habitats for local wildlife, particularly native bird species.

Processing

This coffee is produced using a fully washed process designed to highlight the farm's unique terroir and the character of its young coffee trees.

After harvesting, the cherries are carefully sorted by flotation to remove any underripe or defective fruit before being pulped. The coffee then undergoes around 24 hours of fermentation in its mucilage, with the exact duration adjusted to suit the local climate and conditions.

The farm uses an efficient EcoMill system, which significantly reduces water consumption compared to traditional washed processing methods. Once washed, the coffee is dried slowly in parabolic dryers until it reaches an ideal moisture content of around 10.5%.

The result is a clean, expressive coffee that showcases both the potential of El Refugio's young coffee trees and the unique growing conditions of this volcanic region of Colombia.