Organic Peruvian Two Farm Blend
Organic Peruvian Two Farm Blend One roast.
Organic
Organic is an interesting subject when it comes to Peruvian coffee. Much of the coffee that we buy from Peru is grown organically. Some of our suppliers and shippers, in the early stages of their commercial existence just can’t make sense of the costs involved in carrying through the certification. As luck would have it, this lot is via our old friends at Mercanta, who have been around even longer than us. As you will probably notice, we have had a pretty short list of Organic coffees lately. If it’s not “up here” you can guess the rest!
TOP TRUMPS
Country: Peru
Farm names and owners: El Mexico (Maria) and El Cedro (Angelito)
Town: Cautivo
Province: La Coipa, San Igancio, Cajamarca
Farm size: 2 Hectares
Altitude farm: 1850-1900 Meters above sea level
Varietals: Typica, Red Catuai and Pache’
Process: Fully washed: Dried on raised beds.
Main Harvest period: June – October
Cup potential:
Aromatics: Jammy, ripe and fruity | Body: Light to silky | Acidity: Citric~soft|
Before I “officially” write this coffee up, I have taken it home for two weekends, cupped it very fresh from roast, and also less fresh too. I have brewed it in espresso with different grinders and I feel I know it quite well now! On opening in all cuppings, the aromatics translate into a soft, fruit sugary, jammy sweet liquor. In the next stage of cooling the coffee (for me) funnels into four main taste elements; Sweet citrus, pulpy/jammy fruit, green tea, and a little cocoa. These four areas of flavour inter-twine until the fruit finally disappears on cooling. Over all this is a soft, low acidity super-easy drinking coffee.
In V60: Best of both worlds. I really like this and the fresh clarity of this in a V60. Sometimes I can get a touch obsessed with immersion brewing.
In Espresso: Out of milk, this coffee is delicious. I find it can work in milk with a little work. Reducing the fat in the milk (going semi-skimmed) can work well too. Longer extractions than “traditional espresso” and 1:2 (17g in 34g out) 28-35 seconds is my go-to for light roasts like this.
Roast level: Medium Filter.
Back story
This coffee comes from two farms owned and managed by women. Both are members of the Alpes Andinos, growers association.
Maria lives some 3 miles away from the farm; “El Mexico”. In the harvest period, she will pick coffee cherries all day long and then take them home with the help of their donkey. Maria’s husband, Ines Carrasco helps to process the cherry at their home.
Angelito lives further away from her farm in the village of Barro Negro. The journey to the farm is through difficult terrain, so she goes down to La Coipa first and then makes her way up to El Cautivo, to the farm. Due to the distance, Angelito travels with her husband and they pick cherry and prepare the cherry on the farm before heading all of the way home.
The Alpes Andinos association is focused on working with producers and helping them cultivate higher valued varietals. Processing coffee better and supplying the higher value specialty coffee market.
