Producer: Alexander Vargas
Farm: La Piragua
Region: Acevedo, Huila
Variety: Striped Bourbon
Process: Natural Anaerobic
Altitude: 1600 - 1800 masl
Harvested: 2025
 
Cupping notes: Cherry, dried red fruit, raisin, herbal, citrusy, sugar cane.
 
Alexander Vargas began his journey in coffee at the age of 15, working alongside his parents and learning the fundamentals of farming from the ground up. By the age of 20, he had made a clear decision to focus on specialty coffee production, and over the past two decades he has steadily refined his approach through experimentation with both varieties and processing techniques.
 
At La Piragua, Alexander works with varieties such as Geisha and Pink Bourbon, applying controlled anaerobic fermentations and other modern processing methods to highlight their full potential. His coffees have earned multiple national Cup of Excellence nominations, reflecting both technical precision and consistency in quality.
 
Quality control is central to his operation. Alexander built a dedicated cupping laboratory on the farm, where each lot is evaluated and classified before release. This internal control allows him to make informed decisions on processing adjustments and lot separation, maintaining clarity and structure in the final cup.
 
Beyond coffee, he has diversified the farm with crops such as dragon fruit, creating year-round productivity and greater economic resilience. For Alexander, innovation is not about novelty for its own sake, but about ensuring the long-term sustainability and competitiveness of La Piragua in a global specialty market.
 
His work also extends into the local community. He actively shares knowledge with younger producers, contributing to a culture of quality and continuous improvement. At La Piragua, tradition and experimentation move side by side - honoring family roots while pushing forward with a clear commitment to excellence in every harvest.