Rubiel Orrego is a lifelong resident and steward of Finca La Aurora, a coffee estate in Villa María, Caldas. Raised on the farm, he inherited a deep connection to the land and its traditional coffee-growing practices. His dedication and discipline, reinforced by the mentorship of renowned expert Juan Felipe Aristizábal, transformed the estate from a modest family operation into a thriving specialty coffee venture.

Orrego’s strategic shift toward natural and anaerobic natural processing methods marked a pivotal moment in La Aurora’s journey. Rather than sticking to conventional washed coffees, he embraced fermentation-intensive approaches such as pre-drying aerobic fermentation and 72-hour anaerobic processing. This transition, he asserts, significantly elevated the estate’s quality and market positioning, enabling it to produce microlots that routinely score in the high 80s (87–88 points).

Cultivated at soaring altitudes—between 1,800 and 2,000 MASL—his plots yield exceptionally dense, flavourful cherries. Under Orrego’s leadership, these cherries undergo careful hand-sorting and undergo methodical fermentation before being sun-dried on raised beds and finished in climate-controlled silos. The result is coffee with vivid tropical and fruit-driven profiles and aroma notes that range from strawberry and vanilla to lemon and sweet pastry.

Rubiel’s philosophy on coffee farming emphasizes consistency, precision, and experimentation. He believes that farming excellence requires both operational discipline—such as consistent sorting and drying protocols—and the courage to innovate. By adding purpose-built drying infrastructure in 2017 and refining fermentation processes, he has illustrated how technical infrastructure intersects with farm-level dexterity to produce cup quality at the microlot level.

Beyond quality, Orrego has cultivated a cooperative mindset. Under his direction, La Aurora operates as a central cherry collection hub, offering smallholder farmers stable pricing and guaranteed procurement. Through this model, producers consistently receive premiums of approximately 35–40% above average regional prices, ensuring both livelihood security and quality control—an initiative Orrego views as essential to building a sustainable coffee economy.

In sum, Rubiel Orrego represents a new generation of Colombian coffee producers: deeply rooted in heritage, yet boldly pioneering modern processing and community-led business models. His stewardship continues to redefine what a family-run estate can achieve in the global specialty coffee landscape.