History & Origins
La Palma y El Tucán was founded in 2011 by Felipe Sardi and his wife, Elisa María Madriñán, specifically to produce high-quality coffee and improve the lives of farmers in surrounding communities.
The couple, trained respectively in business administration and marketing, brought a unique perspective to coffee farming, with Felipe having previously worked for a coffee importer in the United States before deciding to pursue the production end of the business upon his return to Colombia.
The farm’s distinctive name originated from a biological survey conducted when the founders first acquired their land. They discovered two rare species cohabiting the property: the endangered Emerald Toucan and the endangered Wax Palm.
The name reflects the core concept of their operations: symbiosis, where actions are mutually beneficial—just as the fruit of the Wax Palm provides food for the Emerald Toucan, and the toucan spreads the palm’s seeds, though both species are challenged by habitat loss often driven by coffee plantations.
Between 2011 and 2012, Sardi and Madriñán converted previous cattle farmland into a fully-equipped coffee farm focused on innovation while ensuring the well-being of the environment and farmers.
Their dedication to quality has been validated through numerous awards at national and world coffee competition stages since 2016, with their most memorable achievement coming in 2019 when Korea’s Jooyeon Jeon used their coffee to win first place in the World Barista Championship.
Terroir & Growing Conditions
La Palma y El Tucán is situated in the mountains of Zipacón, Cundinamarca, on the eastern range of the Colombian Andes, approximately two hours away from the capital Bogotá.
The municipality of Zipacón sits at an altitude of 2,548 meters above sea level, while the farm’s coffee plots are located between 1,650 and 1,800 meters elevation.
The temperature at the farm ranges between 9°C and 27°C with an average precipitation of 1,300mm per year.
The climate can be classified as subtropical highland, with relatively consistent temperatures throughout the year and an average annual temperature around 14°C.
High relative humidity levels present a significant challenge for coffee drying, reaching up to 90%, which has historically limited the farm’s capacity to process natural coffees.
However, changing climate patterns, including the effects of El Niño since 2016, have created opportunities for natural processing by reducing relative humidity levels.
Cundinamarca’s coffee grows on the western slopes of the Eastern Andes, with cultivations notable for their biodiversity and integration into local ecosystems. The department’s commitment to environmental sustainability is evidenced by shade coffee cultivation beneath native Andean flora.
The nearly 45-acre estate includes approximately 10 acres of protected natural forest, with the remaining 35 acres dedicated to growing coffee, including experimental and rare varieties.
Processing & Production
La Palma y El Tucán has pioneered innovative processing methods, most notably their proprietary “Bioinnovation” process developed by Sebastian Villamizar, who was inspired by traditional wine fermentation methods.
The Bioinnovation process begins when clay pots are buried in the forest floor to control fermentation temperature, with perfectly ripe coffee cherries mixed with a microbial-rich compost made at La Palma that serves as an organic and biodiverse fermentation substrate.
To create their fermentation substrate, La Palma y El Tucán isolates and grows local microorganisms found in the forest where the farm is located. This substrate is then inoculated with cherries for fermentation in tanks for 96 hours, with each coffee lot infused with a controlled substrate to support consistent microorganism populations, resulting in greater consistency in reactions and flavor profiles.
Specific processing parameters include anaerobic fermentation in clay pots for 107 hours, followed by aerobic environment for mucilage oxidation lasting 36 hours, before being thoroughly rinsed and dried on raised beds for approximately 31 days until achieving 10% moisture content.
Beyond their estate production, La Palma y El Tucán operates the “Neighbors & Crops Program,” working with more than 200 coffee-growing families located within a 10-kilometer radius, from whom they buy and process exceptional coffee cherries while controlling every step of the process.
These partner families are paid 50% more than the national average for their coffee cherry and are given additional coffee trees grown at the La Palma y El Tucán nursery.
Cup Profile & Tasting Notes
La Palma y El Tucán’s Gesha variety exemplifies their processing mastery, with their Heroes Series Gesha scoring 94 points from Coffee Review in July 2024. The coffee presents as “candy-sweet” with complex aromatics of watermelon bubble gum, candy apple, pineapple saltwater taffy, sandalwood, and kumquat, accompanied by delicately bright acidity and a plush, creamy mouthfeel, finishing with very sweet notes centered around watermelon bubble gum and pineapple saltwater taffy.
Their Sidra variety demonstrates unique characteristics despite its Ethiopian lineage, presenting as more viscous, herbal, and fruited than typical Ethiopian varieties. The La Palma Lactic Sidra offers a slightly spiced and fully fruity profile with notes of spiced pear, grilled peaches, and tepache.
Their innovative blending approach combines washed and natural Gesha lots to create complex flavor profiles, with the washed lot contributing lovely floral and citrus components while the natural lot adds fruity, tropical complexity, resulting in delightfully floral aromas, stone fruits like mango and cherry, and complex acidity.
What began as an ecotourism venture nearly 15 years ago has evolved into a coffee-cultivating powerhouse that has shaped many coffee professionals’ appreciation of Colombian specialty coffee, with La Palma’s commitment to community and obsession with processing perfection establishing their reputation among discerning roasters worldwide.
However, the farm has recently made the strategic decision to return their focus toward ecotourism, with coffee production continuing on a smaller scale with an educational emphasis on environmental stewardship.