*new【Roast in Kyoto】Colombia Alexander Montealegre[Light roast]

This lot placed 14th at the Colombia Washed Coffee Festival and was sourced directly at origin.

At the competition, our local cupping notes were recorded as “Orange, Cherry, Clean cup, Lemongrass, Caramel,” and what stood out most to us was its clarity and overall balance. It doesn’t feature particularly unusual flavors, but the cup is exceptionally clean, with a long, lingering finish and a gentle, rounded profile that feels reassuring and easy to return to. When we cupped the coffee again after it arrived in Japan—following a journey of about six months—the clarity of the liquid remained, while the sweetness had gained more depth and weight, resulting in a more three-dimensional expression. It’s not flashy, but it has a solid volume of acidity and sweetness, beautifully balanced throughout. Somehow, it feels as though the strength of the land and the people we encountered at origin is reflected in the cup. This is very much a Kurasu-style coffee—one you’d want to drink every day.

Alexander-san is a producer we worked with for the first time through the exporter Fairfield Trading (FFT), and this is likely also the first year his coffee has been imported into Japan. He grows coffee in the San Agustín area of Huila. Some farmers working with FFT participate in chat groups where information such as parchment prices is shared, depending on the region, but Alexander-san was not part of any of these. Instead, after hearing about FFT’s representative Alejandro-san by word of mouth, he decided to submit his coffee to this competition. Beyond this lot, he cultivates several other high-quality coffees, and with a relatively large production volume at his farm, he is a producer we are very excited to follow in the years ahead.

I grew up in a family where coffee was always part of everyday life. My grandfather purchased this land around 50 years ago, when it was little more than mountains and uncultivated terrain. Later, about 20 years ago, my father began growing coffee, and Finca Buena Vista was born. After trying a different job in the city, I returned to the countryside—and that decision changed my life. I came to understand that coffee is not just a crop, but a path to building my own future while honoring what I learned from my parents.

I am currently single and live with my mother. Finca Buena Vista covers a total of 12 hectares, 9 of which are planted with coffee. The farm is located at an altitude of 1,800 meters, in volcanic soil and a mountainous climate. We currently grow around 20,000 coffee trees: 5,000 Caturra, 4,500 Papayo, 5,000 Castillo, 5,000 Catimor, and 1,000 Pacamara. This diversity allows us to explore different profiles and present the many expressions of San Agustín to the specialty coffee market.

We do not use shade-grown practices. Due to the amount of light and cold climate in this region, working with shade is difficult. However, forest conservation is very important to us. At Buena Vista, we preserve 3–4 hectares of forest at the upper part of the farm. Three streams run through this area, protected by natural vegetation buffers of 50–70 meters. We also keep bees, which support pollination and are a sign that the farm is healthy and well balanced. Protecting water, plants, and animals is essential to me, because coffee quality is deeply connected to the health of the environment.

On the farm, four members of my family work full time. During periods of heavy labor, we support one another, and everyone benefits from working together in the same place. During the harvest season, we hire up to 17 additional seasonal workers. I believe we treat them fairly, and we provide good meals, which is very important to me. When people are healthy, the coffee is healthy too.

We practice proper farm management at the right times and carefully select only ripe cherries. We fertilize three times a year, maintain organic ground cover to preserve soil nutrients, and continuously renew younger coffee trees to keep the farm productive. All of these practices contribute to improving coffee quality without compromising sustainability.

At the 2025 Colombia Washed Coffee Festival, I submitted three lots and achieved 14th, 28th, and 29th place. This was a very significant experience for me. Knowing that my coffee was selected among the best in the country made me proud and reassured me that I am on the right path.

What I seek most is recognition from the people who enjoy my coffee. When a roaster falls in love with my coffee, understands its value, and appreciates the effort behind it—that recognition is just as important to me as price. I dream of having “champions” who believe in my coffee, people who think of me and Buena Vista and deliver my coffee to consumers with pride.

Thanks to FFT and Fairfield, I feel supported. For the first time, I truly see that my efforts are being recognized, and this motivates me even more. I know I am an uncut diamond: I have the land, the tradition, and the discipline. With continued learning and support, I am confident that I can bring my coffee to an even higher level of quality and consistency.

At Buena Vista, they follow a traditional Colombian washed process.

• The coffee cherries are fermented for 24 hours.
• They are then pulped, and fermented for an additional 24 hours in mucilage.
• The coffee is washed three times in cement tanks using fresh river water.
• It is dried for approximately 8 days on 20 × 8 meter African beds. During this time, it is stirred daily and piled up to ensure even humidity.
• Finally, it is stabilized for 10 days before storage.

There is no doubt that the process is carried out properly, but there is still room for improvement. This includes implementing a flotation step at the cherry stage, exploring slower and more even drying methods, and fine-tuning cherry selection to enhance consistency in the cup.

Hi, it's Takuya, a head roaster at Kurasu. For about two weeks from the end of March to the early April, I visited Colombia. This is Kurasu's second origin trip since the trip to Ethiopia in 2023, and as for myself, this was my first ever origin trip.

Our trusted importer that we source our Central and South American beans, SYU・HA・RI san, coordinated to make this wonderful trip possible.

Read the blog here: Colombia Origin Trip 2025 (Part 1: Participating in the Competition)