The basis of our Specialty Espresso 2026 at Garza Coffee is a washed Castillo from Colombia — from Finca Bellavista in Caldas, produced by Alejandro Gil and his family. Clear, balanced, with notes of cocoa, orange, and vanilla. Round enough for milk drinks, precise enough for straight espresso.

In December 2025, I visited Finca Bellavista, in the heart of the Caldas department, about 30 minutes from Manizales. What I saw there convinced me to make this coffee the foundation of our espresso program. 2026 is also the first year Alejandro is exporting internationally — a milestone for his family. In this article, I'll tell you who is behind it, how the coffee is produced, and why there are two lots from the same farm this year.

Bellavista Espresso at a glance

The technical specifications of the coffee:

• Producer: Alejandro Gil, Familia Gil
• Farm: Bellavista, Caldas, Colombia (~30 min. from Manizales)
• Altitude: 1,300 meters above sea level
• Variety: Castillo
• Processing Espresso Lot: Washed
• SCA Score: 84 (Bellavista Espresso) · 85.5 (Honey Castillo)
• Espresso Aromas: Cocoa, Orange, Vanilla
• Roast Level: Espresso Roast
• Cultivation: without chemical fertilizers or insecticides, multiple selective harvests
• Premiere: 2026 is Alejandro Gil's first export year

Caldas and Manizales — the Capital of Colombian Coffee

Caldas is one of the three classic departments of the Colombian Eje Cafetero — along with Quindío and Risaralda. The landscape has been a UNESCO World Heritage site since 2011 and has been one of the most important coffee growing regions in Latin America for over a hundred years.

The capital Manizales is inextricably linked with coffee in Colombia: it is home to Cenicafé, the national coffee research center, which, among other things, developed the Castillo variety (more on that in a moment). The combination of volcanic soils of the Central Cordillera, altitudes between 1,200 and 1,800 meters, and a tropical microclimate with regulated rain and sun cycles makes the region one of the most precise growing areas in the world.

Finca Bellavista is located about 30 minutes drive south of Manizales. The climate there is clean, humid, and relatively cool — conditions that allow the coffee cherries to ripen slowly. Exactly what is needed for balanced, sweet-round profiles.

Alejandro Gil and Finca Bellavista

Finca Bellavista is managed by Alejandro Gil and his family. 2026 is his first year that his coffees will be exported internationally — and both lots, the Washed and the Honey, are going to Garza Coffee in Berlin.

What makes Alejandro special is his attitude towards agriculture. For him, coffee is not an isolated commodity, but part of a living ecosystem. That sounds grand, but he implements it pragmatically: after each harvest, he invests time in regenerating the soil instead of immediately putting it under stress again. The fields are manually cared for, without chemical fertilizers or insecticides. This costs more time and manual labor, but it keeps the soil alive and the plants resilient.

The fact that he is exporting for the first time in 2026 is no minor matter. For a small Colombian producer, this is a transition — away from the local domestic market, towards international specialty buyers who have different demands on traceability, cupping profiles, and consistency. Alejandro has taken this step, and the two lots that are now in Berlin are the result of his years of work on quality and precision.

Sustainable Coffee Cultivation — What Alejandro Specifically Does

"Sustainable coffee cultivation" is a term that is often used but rarely specified. At Finca Bellavista, it looks like this:

• No chemical fertilizers, no insecticides. Period.
• Manual plant care. Each coffee plant is regularly checked, and the fields are manually monitored.
• Selective harvesting, several times a year. Only what is fully ripe is picked. This prevents the coffee borer (broca, one of the most feared pests in coffee) from spreading and ensures that only perfect material goes into processing.
• Mechanical weed control instead of herbicides.
• Soil regeneration as a regular work step after harvest — not as an exception.

This approach requires more time and significantly more manual labor than conventional cultivation. But it pays off in the cup: cleaner profiles, less "noise," a defined sweetness that is only possible when only ripe cherries are harvested.

The Castillo Variety and Two Processes

Both of Alejandro's lots — the Washed for the Bellavista Espresso and the Honey for the Honey Castillo — are from the same variety: Castillo.

Castillo is a Colombian hybrid variety developed in the 1980s by the national research center Cenicafé (located in Manizales). Its main characteristic: a natural resistance to coffee leaf rust (la roya), which threatens many traditional varieties in Colombia. For a long time, Castillo was considered a "productive" but sensorially unexciting variety. In recent years, the picture has changed: with precise processing and selective harvesting, Castillo can develop exceptionally clear, round profiles — especially suitable for espresso, where balance and defined sweetness are more important than aromatic extremes.

From the same variety, the same farm, the same producer, two very different coffees are created through different processing methods:

Washed (Bellavista Espresso): The fruit pulp is completely removed immediately after harvest, the beans are washed and dried. Result: a clear, structured espresso with defined sweetness, elegant acidity, and an aroma profile showing cocoa, orange, and vanilla.

Honey Process (Honey Castillo): The skin is removed, but part of the fruit pulp (mucilage) remains on the bean. During drying, the natural sugars of the mucilage are absorbed into the bean. Result: a coffee with more pronounced sweetness and greater sensory depth — as espresso: honey and cocoa, as filter coffee: clear tangerine.

Both profiles show what Castillo can achieve when the processing is right. And both are available outside Colombia for the first time ever in 2026.

In the Cup — How the Two Lots Taste

Despite shared origin and variety, the two cups are clearly distinguishable.

Bellavista Espresso (Washed): In espresso, the coffee opens with cocoa, followed by a bright, juicy orange note and a soft vanilla sweetness in the finish. The acidity is structured, not aggressive. The body is medium and round, the cup balanced and accessible — a profile that works just as well on its own as in milk drinks. In a flat white or cappuccino, the cocoa and vanilla notes unfold particularly beautifully.

Honey Castillo (Honey Process): The profile is sweeter and rounder. As espresso: honey and cocoa, with a noticeable natural sweetness that doesn't taste sugary, but like ripe stone fruit. As filter coffee, the profile shifts: clear tangerine, clean sweetness, light body. A coffee that convinces in both brewing methods — hence the Omni Roast.

Both are coffees that don't polarize. No harsh character, no experiment. Simply very good Specialty Coffee.

Preparation — Espresso and Filter

Bellavista Espresso — developed as an espresso roast:

• Dose: 18 g in, 36 g out (Ratio 1:2)
• Brewing temperature: 93 °C
• Extraction time: 27–30 seconds
• Grind size: fine
• Recommendation: pure, or in milk drinks (flat white, cappuccino, cortado)

The espresso roast is denser and slightly darker than a filter roast, which makes it significantly more compatible with standard machines — portafilter machines, automatic machines, and precise home machines cope without problems. Unlike with a light roast like Apricot OD, you don't need PID control or pre-infusion here to get a clean result.

Honey Castillo — Omni Roast:

The Omni roast is designed to work well as both espresso and filter.

• As espresso: 18 g in, 36 g out, 93 °C, 27–30 s
• As filter coffee: 1:15 (e.g., 15 g to 225 g water), water temperature 93 °C, medium-coarse grind. V60 or AeroPress recommended.

The idea behind Omni Roast: a single roast that works well in both brewing methods — not a compromise, but a consciously balanced harmony. Practical for everyone who drinks both espresso and filter coffee.

What's Behind Bellavista Espresso

A coffee like Bellavista Espresso is not produced on an industrial scale. Only fully ripe cherries are selected, through multiple passes per season, by hand. This is followed by processing (Washed for the espresso lot, Honey for the second lot), controlled drying, and finally roasting in small batches in Berlin.

The price reflects this effort. €14 for 250 g of Bellavista Espresso — and the same for Honey Castillo. For a specialty coffee from a direct relationship with the producer, without bypassing the mass market, this is fair value.

Honey Castillo — the Second Lot from the Same Farm

If Bellavista Espresso convinces you, it's worth taking a look at the second lot Alejandro sent to Berlin in 2026: Honey Castillo. Same farm, same variety, different processing — and thanks to the Omni Roast, flexibly usable for both espresso and filter.

Frequently Asked Questions about Bellavista Espresso

Where does Bellavista Espresso come from?
From Finca Bellavista in the Caldas Department, Colombia, about 30 minutes south of Manizales, at 1,300 meters altitude. Produced by Alejandro Gil and his family.

What variety is the coffee?
Castillo — a Colombian hybrid variety, developed in the 1980s by Cenicafé in Manizales, known for resistance to coffee rust and a balanced, clean cup when precisely prepared.

What is the difference between the Bellavista Espresso and the Honey Castillo?
Both come from the same farm, from the same producer, from the same variety. Differences: The Bellavista Espresso is a washed lot with a pure espresso roast — for espresso machines and milk drinks. The Honey Castillo is a honey lot with an Omni Roast — it works both as espresso (honey, cocoa) and as filter coffee (clear mandarin).

Does the Bellavista Espresso work in a standard espresso machine?
Yes. The espresso roast is denser and slightly darker than a light filter roast, so it is compatible with portafilter machines, automatic machines, and precise household machines. Unlike light roasts, it does not require PID control or pre-infusion.

Is the Bellavista Espresso suitable for milk drinks?
Yes — especially well, in fact. The cocoa and vanilla notes clearly stand out against the milk without becoming bitter. Flat White, Cappuccino, Cortado: perfect.

What does “first export 2026" mean for Alejandro?
That his coffees will be sold internationally for the first time in 2026 — before that, they were mainly marketed locally. For a small producer in Caldas, this is a significant step towards the specialty market.

What roast level do the two coffees have?
The Bellavista Espresso is developed as an espresso roast — denser than a filter roast, but not dark in the Italian sense. The Honey Castillo is an Omni Roast, adapted for both brewing methods.