Producer: Luis Marcelino Farm: Veci Project Location: Pitalito, Hulia Variety: Pink Bourbon Process: Honey Double Fermentation Altitude: 1,600 masl Luis Marcelino, an ex-corporate achiever, transitioned to coffee in 2017-2019, learning cultivation, processing, and trade in Colombia. Inspired by Ninety Plus, he founded Aroma Nativo in 2019, focusing on natural and experimental processing protocols. Aroma Nativo is recognized in global coffee competitions, with coffees used by top finishers in the 2024 World Barista Championship. The Veci Project, implemented by Luis in 2022, aims to improve coffee quality and farmer livelihoods by providing advance payments and premiums for high-quality cherries. The project supports farmers with commendable agronomic practices and educates them on contemporary specialty coffee methods, from cultivation to post-harvest processing, to achieve higher cup scores and retain youth in coffee farming in Huila. Pink Bourbon, a hybrid cultivar from southern Huila, is known for its high cup quality and floral/fruit characteristics, genetically linked to Ethiopian landraces. This lot was grown by smallholder farmers in Acevedo and San Adolfo, Huila, under the Veci Project. Processed at Aroma Nativo’s Pitalito facility, the Honey Double Fermentation involved anaerobic fermentation of ripe cherries, followed by pulping and a second barrel fermentation with native bacteria and selected yeast. Drying occurred on raised beds for 15 days under sun exposure.