Héctor Londoño

Héctor Londoño is a coffee producer located in the municipality of Urrao, within the Antioquia department of Colombia. He manages the Santa Catalina farm, which sits at an altitude of 1,800 meters above sea level. Londoño has gained recognition in specialty coffee circles for his work with the Chiroso variety, a coffee that has recently emerged as a point of significant interest for roasters and researchers exploring regional Colombian cultivars.

The Chiroso variety, which is understood to be an Ethiopian landrace, has found a unique expression in the high-altitude environment of Urrao. While the exact history of how this variety arrived and became established in this specific region remains a subject of ongoing study, its cup quality is widely regarded as extraordinary. The variety is characterized by a bright, tropical flavor profile, often exhibiting notes of melon and soft florals, which has led to its inclusion in dedicated buying programs by specialty roasters.

Londoño’s approach to coffee production is defined by meticulous post-harvest processing. His standard practice involves hand-picking cherries at their peak ripeness, followed by a flotation process to remove any defects. The cherries are then held in-cherry for two days before being de-pulped. The subsequent fermentation occurs underwater for an additional three days, after which the coffee is washed and dried on raised beds until it reaches a target moisture content of 10.5%.

For the producer, participating in these specialized variety projects represents a shift toward high-value, quality-focused agriculture. By focusing on the Chiroso variety, Londoño aligns his farm with broader industry efforts to identify and cultivate coffee varieties that offer superior sensory experiences. This focus on quality allows producers to differentiate their output in a competitive global market, potentially securing better outcomes for their operations.

For roasters, the work of producers like Londoño is essential to the development of traceability-focused supply chains. By partnering with exporters such as The Coffee Quest, roasters are able to build multi-year projects that support the continued cultivation of rare or high-performing varieties. This collaborative model ensures that the specific lots produced at Santa Catalina can be brought to market with clear documentation regarding their origin, variety, and processing methods.

As of the 2026 harvest, Londoño’s coffee has been featured by specialty roasters who highlight the specific terroir of Urrao. The success of these lots serves as a case study for the potential of regional variety projects in Colombia. The ongoing interest in Londoño’s work reflects a broader trend in the specialty coffee industry: the pursuit of unique, high-quality genetic material and the refinement of processing techniques to maximize the potential of the coffee cherry.