The Miners Nespresso® capsules- Colombia Monte Bonito Decaf

Miners coffee capsules are designed for use with NESPRESSO® coffee machines. The aim is to offer great coffee to everyone, anywhere, anytime, with respect for nature.

The capsules are made from organic food and have a TUV certificate of compostability. This means they are safe for home composting.

• Acidity - medium
• Bitterness - medium
• Sweetness - higher

The town of Monte Bonito is located at the foot of the Cerro Bravo mountains halfway between the towns of Honda and Manizales. Monte Bonito is also one of the few towns still living according to the original village traditions, offering an interesting insight into the history and way of life of the farmers in the Colombian Andes.

Monte Bonito has a turbulent history. It was first significantly affected by the civil war and then occupied three times by FARC troops.
The region is divided between approximately 90 smallholders in a cooperative, who typically own one to three hectares of land.
The growers themselves are responsible for the running and management of the farms and for cherry picking, with help from their neighbours where necessary.
During the harvest, the coffee cherries are harvested and then shelled and left to ferment in concrete tanks for between 16 and 18 hours.
The following day, the beans are washed, sorted and then spread out to dry.
Some farmers use the roofs of their houses, known as 'eldas', for drying. In addition, they also use 'carros quindianos', which are drying tables with rails to slide out. Last but not least, there are also covered parabolic drying tables.

The grains are usually dried between ten and fourteen days, depending on the weather.
Once the grains have dried to the required moisture content, they are sent to the cooperative's collection point in Manizales.
Here the grains are sorted and graded according to quality. In the case of higher quality, farmers receive extra money.
If the grains are dried below 11% moisture, farmers receive an additional financial bonus.
Once the sorting is complete and the grains are sorted according to their respective quality, they go to a central warehouse, also located in Manizales.

This is followed by tasting and lot selection to create the regional blend. The main factors are the flavour profile, quality and specification of the grains.
Once the final blend is ready, the grains go to the dry station where they are re-sorted, packaged and prepared for export.
Sugarcane processing
During sugarcane processing, the grains are first steamed at low pressure to remove their protective skin. The grains are then moistened with hot water to soften and swell them.
This part of the beans prepares for the hydrolysis of caffeine, which is bound to the salts of chlorogenic acid.
The extractors, which are obtained by natural fermentation of the sugar cane, not through chemical synthesis, are then infused with the moistened coffee. The beans are washed several times beforehand with ethyl acetate in order to reduce the caffeine content to the desired level.

Once the process is complete, the beans must be rinsed of the remaining ethyl acetate using a stream of low-pressure saturated steam. The beans then go into vacuum drying drums where they are dried to a moisture level of between 10-12 %. At the end of the process, the grains are cooled to room temperature and then a layer of special wax is applied to the grains to provide resistance to external influences and to help ensure grain stability.

The farm: Monte Bonito
Altitude: 1700 m above sea level.
Processing: Washed
Variety: Castillo, Colombia

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