Libardo Mulcue

This coffee comes from El Guadual — a small farm in Cauca, Colombia — owned and run by Libardo Mulcue Pillimue and his family.

Don Libardo has been working with coffee for over 35 years. He got his start labouring on nearby farms before inheriting land from his father, where he began cultivating coffee using traditional methods.

The farm, El Guadual, sits at nearly 2,000 metres above sea level and is planted with several varieties, including Colombia, castillo, caturra, courbon, courbon ají, and ombligón — the latter being the variety behind this lot.

Ombligón is a rare Arabica variety found almost exclusively in Colombia’s Huila and Cauca regions. The name is Spanish for “belly button” and refers to the distinct navel-like shape of the cherry. Though its exact genetic origins remain uncertain, many Colombian producers and agronomists believe ombligón is a natural mutation, possibly linked to Ethiopian heirloom types or more common Colombian cultivars like caturra or bourbon. Ombligon is prized for its vibrant cup profile and potential for expressive, fruit-forward flavour when carefully processed.

At El Guadual, processing begins with a 24-hour fermentation in cherry, followed by pulping and a second fermentation in open tanks. After washing, the coffee is dried for several weeks under cover.

For us, this coffee is vibrant and refreshing; lively and precise expression of the Ombligón variety, tasting of candied orange, golden raisin, and Meyer lemon.

This is our first year buying from Don Libardo with the purchase being forward-contracted through our import partners, Caravela Coffee.