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Who Makes The
BEST COFFEE
Editorial sacred-geometry illustration for Nelson Melo, not a photograph of this coffee or its packaging

Editorial illustration · not a coffee photograph

Editorial sacred-geometry artwork for Nelson Melo; not a documentary photograph

Editorial illustration

Editorial sacred-geometry artwork for Nelson Melo; not a documentary photograph

Editorial illustration

Editorial sacred-geometry artwork for Nelson Melo; not a documentary photograph

Editorial illustration

🇨🇴Colombia · Cauca

Nelson Melo

Roasted by Counter Culture CoffeeRoaster's website
TRADITIONAL PROCESS
TagsColombiaCaucaCaturraBourbonTabiGeshaWashedLight roastBergamotArabicaSingle originFinca Las Acacias — Nelson MeloNelson MeloCounter Culture Coffee
🇨🇴ColombiaWashedLight roast
Brand
Counter Culture Coffee
Roaster website
Visit website
Country
🇨🇴Colombia
Region
Cauca
Town
Popayán
Farm / Station
Finca Las Acacias — Nelson Melo
Farmer / Producer
Nelson Melo
Species
Arabica
Type
Single origin
Grade
Not specified
Variety
Caturra, Bourbon, Tabi, and Gesha
Process
Roast
Light
Tasting notes
bergamot, kiwi, apple pastry
Fermentation
—
Drying
—
Product page
Roaster's site
Date reviewed
—
Why some details are blank
  • gradeThe exact Counter Culture page does not publish a formal green-coffee grade.
  • fermentationThe release page identifies washed processing but does not disclose a fermentation duration, vessel, or protocol.
  • drying methodThe exact release page does not disclose the drying surface, location, or duration.
  • variety proportionsCaturra, Bourbon, Tabi, and Gesha are documented, but their proportions are not published.
  • availability interfaceThe exact page renders generic Add-to-Cart text while the actionable button says Sold Out; the release was listed through mid-April 2024.
  • public sentiment ratingThe exact-release catalog shows zero ratings, and no qualifying independent exact-release numeric review was verified.
  • original tasting scoreWho Makes the Best Coffee has not documented tasting and scoring this release; other Nelson Melo and La Golondrina coffees are different lots.
Spotted an error? Report a correction →
The transparency chain

FROM THE BAG
BACK TO THE LAND.

Every link we could verify, traced in one place. Follow the chain as far as it goes — when the industry doesn't disclose a link, we say so instead of guessing.

  1. 01
    The name on the bag
    Nelson Melo
  2. 02
    The brand
    Counter Culture Coffee
  3. 03
    The roaster
    Counter Culture Coffee
  4. 04
    The variety
    Caturra, Bourbon, Tabi, and Gesha
  5. 05
    The farm
    Finca Las Acacias — Nelson Melo
  6. 06
    The farmer
    Nelson Melo
  7. 07
    The region
    Cauca
  8. 08
    The country
    🇨🇴Colombia
From the producer

Nelson Melo and Liliana Pabón manage Finca Las Acacias, a small organic farm outside Popayán, and helped establish Orgánica. Counter Culture credits their demanding cultivar choices, meticulous processing, and seed bank as an example for other La Golondrina producers.

From the roaster

Counter Culture Coffee is a specialty roaster focused on transparency and sustainability, sourcing high-quality beans directly from producers to highlight unique regional characteristics.

Why this coffee is noteworthy

A traceable organic Cauca microlot from Nelson Melo and Liliana Pabón’s Finca Las Acacias, documenting a 1,930-meter 2023 crop with four cultivars, transparent retail and FOB prices, and an exact roaster flavor profile. Older Nelson Melo and La Golondrina coffees remain separate releases and are not used as this coffee’s tasting evidence.

The honest process breakdown

WHAT DID THEY ACTUALLY
DO TO THIS COFFEE?

01
Exact release verified

Counter Culture confirms Finca Las Acacias, Nelson Melo and Liliana Pabón, Popayán, washed processing, 1,930 meters, Caturra, Bourbon, Tabi, and Gesha, April–July 2023, organic and kosher certifications, light roast, and bergamot, kiwi, and apple-pastry descriptors.

02
Retail price structured

The roaster page and CoffeeList exact-release catalog both record $28 for 12 ounces. Counter Culture’s separate $5.75/lb FOB figure remains labeled as producer-payment context.

03
Availability contradiction recorded

The exact page renders generic Add-to-Cart text but its actionable control says Sold Out and the release was listed through mid-April 2024. Sold out is retained, with the interface conflict documented.

04
Different releases excluded

A 2012 independent La Golondrina review and a 2009 Nelson Melo/Alterra lot concern different coffees. Their processing and tasting observations are not transferred to this 2023 release.

What was added?

No added ingredients or cultures are disclosed.

What wasn't added?

Counter Culture states that it does not add flavoring agents; no fruit, spices, or post-roast flavoring are documented.

Why it matters

The profile now aligns structured price and cultivar composition with the exact release while separating retail, producer-payment, availability, and historical evidence.

What you might taste

Counter Culture lists bergamot, kiwi, and sweet apple pastry.

Sources for these process claims
  • · https://counterculturecoffee.com/products/nelson-melo
  • · https://www.coffeelist.co/b/counter-culture-coffee/nelson-melo
  • · https://thenoteworthydotblog.wordpress.com/2012/05/03/review-counter-culture-coffee-la-golondrina-colombia/
Coffee profile

In the database. Not tasted. Not scored.

This coffee is in our database because we can reliably document it — but we haven't tasted and scored it yet, and we never publish a score we haven't earned.

Outside reviews and internet discussion — is kept clearly separate from our own review. When we taste it, our full review appears here.

The internet pulse

What the internet is saying about this coffee

Research complete — no qualifying reviews yet

Our research pipeline scanned public reviews, videos, forums and discussions for this coffee (last pass 2026-11-10) and found no independent review of this exact release that meets our verification standards. When qualifying sources appear, they'll be published here.

What we found

CoffeeList’s exact-release page shows zero ratings; its profile sliders and roaster-derived descriptors are not independent tasting scores. The 2012 La Golondrina review covers a cooperative coffee with different cultivars, elevation range, processing details, and flavor profile. No numeric sentiment rating was calculated.

Until then, meet the people behind it:

Meet the farm: Finca Las Acacias — Nelson Melo →Meet the farmer: Nelson Melo →
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