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Andes Mountains
Valle del Cauca, Colombia
Elevation 6,000ft
Tea grown in the rainforest
Sourced from the lush landscapes of Colombia, our tea brings the pure, vibrant flavors of the earth directly to your cup. Nestled amidst cloud forests and nourished by the Bitaco River, each leaf is steeped in the vitality of a thriving ecosystem. Surrounded by native flora and fauna, this tea captures the wild beauty of Colombia’s natural world—bright, clean, and alive with character.
Grown on a 520-acre farm high in the Andes, Bitaco Tea is cultivated with care and conscience. Half of the estate is preserved as protected forest, co-managed with Colombian environmental authorities to safeguard biodiversity and restore the local river basin. Certified by the Rainforest Alliance, the farm operates as a model of sustainable agriculture. Bitaco’s mission also extends beyond the fields. The company provides scholarships for rural students and runs free arts, sports, and language programs for local children. Garden workers receive healthcare, retirement benefits, and performance-based bonuses—creating a culture where both land and community are nurtured. With every sip, you taste not only the richness of Colombia’s soil but the strength of the people who bring it to life.
Current Vintage: Spring 2025
Meet your tea master
Claudio Castañeda
What inspired you to become a tea maker?
First and foremost, it was the passion and curiosity of tea drinkers searching for new sensory experiences and new origins. That is fundamental, because I feel that my work is about telling a story—so that every moment with tea, whether it’s a pause in the day, a moment of focus at work, or sharing with others, carries the spirit of the Colombian mountains. What inspires me every day is the possibility of offering consumers a unique origin and flavor, something beyond the traditional. I am proud to show that Colombia is not only a land of great coffee, but also a land of exceptional tea. Finally, my background as an engineer deeply influenced my journey. Tea is traditionally crafted in a very artisanal way, and I was inspired by the idea of applying technical and scientific knowledge to the transformation of Camellia sinensis. That challenge—bridging craft with science—was one of my greatest motivations.
What do you hope people feel or experience when they drink your tea?
On the sensory level, I hope they perceive the unmistakable signature of our terroir: the natural sweetness of sugarcane, tropical fruits such as lulo, guava, passion fruit, or granadilla, as well as notes that may be less familiar but are deeply tied to our identity—like chontaduro or raw panela.
When someone drinks tea from Bitaco, I want them to be transported to the Colombian Andes. I want them to picture the cloud forest we preserve, the hands of the farmers who harvest the leaves, and even the sheep grazing between the rows of tea bushes.
