Café Don Rafa

Café Don Rafa's coffee begins on its own finca in the hills above Jericó, in Antioquia, where two processing methods define the house style. The washed lot ferments in water tanks until the mucilage disappears entirely, producing a brighter, more acidic cup with notes of panela. The honey lot skips that step — the mucilage stays on the bean through drying, softening the acidity and pulling out more sweetness. Both are sold by the kilo, roasted and packed under the Don Rafa name that ties every bag back to the farm. The company runs coffee tours through the Jericó finca and, separately, through Medellín, priced at 150,000 pesos, alongside a 190,000-peso pairing session that walks visitors through the two processes side by side. A second café has opened in San Marcos, Envigado, extending the brand into Medellín's metro area, but the beans and the story both still start in the Jericó highlands. For visitors who want more than a bag to take home, the tastings and pairings are the clearest way to taste the difference process makes — the same beans, two very different cups.