This summer we are offering some new coffees from volcanic farms: the distinctive Guatemalan, located in San Marcos - influenced by the Pacific Ocean; a delicious Sumatran coffee from the Gayo Highlands - producing truly elegant profiles and the finest quality Peru - bursting with flavours such as chocolate and caramel.
Peru
The farmers of Amoju are a family who seek the common interest before their own and therefore rely on the support of institutions such as Algrano, which help many farmers from different countries to market their coffee directly and are able to have a benefit that allows development as a family, as an institution and as farmers. Being one of Peru’s top rising exporters of coffee, buyers are aware of this and flock to neighbouring Amazonas in search for 80 – 84+ scoring (certified) coffees.
This cooperative consists of 340 growers, of which more than 20% are women, located on the left bank of the Maranon River in Peru. Producers have been dedicated to the production of coffee with practices that mitigate climate change since their founding in 2016.
The entire process of coffee production is completed on the producers’ 3-5 hectare farms. The best nursery grown seedlings are selected to be planted - seeds of good quality and high germination power is vital. Special care is taken during the de-pulping stage to remove the skin and mucilage, it is never done on the day of harvest. The beans are fermented using two different methods of wet or washed and in Yukamama, they try to minimise the use of water during the whole process.
The region is beautifully diverse: aside from the more traditional flavours of a Peruvian coffee such as caramel and cacao, in this particular coffee you will be able to find berries and prunes. This is a result of Cajamarca’s unique micro-climates, and these heights offer valuable breeding grounds for coffee trees. The cup speaks for itself, often finding deep sweetness profiles within a rich body. This Peru coffee can offer a delicate yet mouth-watering sweetness; hints of dry apricot appear with a fruity and yellow plum like acidity.
Guatemala
Home to the highest volcano in central America, the hills of the 76 hectare farm La Cooperativa Riberas Del Cabuz in San Marcos are influenced by the Pacific Ocean which create a microclimate within the tropical atmosphere. As the rainy season begins early with a humidity level of 70 to 80%, the coffee plants bloom faster than any other regions. The rich volcanic soil in San Marcos helps create coffee with distinctive acidity.
The FEDECOCAGUA, an umbrella organisation for 20,000 coffee farmers which is a second level cooperative founded in 1969. Its goal is to achieve better market opportunities for small coffee producers and improve the living standards of their families. They sustain a strong commitment to their customers by providing them with the highest quality coffee.
Most of the coffee is hand-picked and almost all of it shade grown. This allows it to ripen more slowly to develop sweet and more complex flavours whilst benefiting a diverse ecosystem. Spring water is used to de-pulp the coffees, they are then dried on patios or in low-heat dryers dependant on how long the rainy season lasts. It is normal for the coffee to be finished in a mechanical dryer.
This coffee offers a broad range of flavours - from a delicious rich chocolate and the sweetness of cherries to a more citrus acidity partnered with a syrupy caramel and a nut like taste. The coffee can also have delicate floral notes in its aroma and taste, this is due to the Pacific Ocean’s influence and the unique microclimates of the region.
Indonesia Sumatra
The Gayo Highlands region is a high plateau in the Central Aceh province of northern Sumatra - home to the Permata Gayo Cooperative which was founded in 2006.
Fifty farmers from 5 villages of the Bener Meriah district of Aceh Province organised the rebuild of their abandoned coffee farms after a civil war dominated the region. Successfully increasing their membership, they achieved organic certification in 2007 and a Fairtrade certification in 2009. The cooperative consists of 2,053 members with an average size of 2.5 hectares per farm.
Farmers deliver the “Gabah”- a wet parchment coffee with a moisture content of approximately 45%; the Gabah is then dried for a day prior to hulling. After the hulling process the “Labu”, a wet green bean at 30% moisture, takes a further two days to become “Assalan”, down to 20%. The Assalan is transported to the main dry mill where it is dried for a further half a day to 13% as unsorted green beans which are then ready for exporting.
The islands are volcanic which lends itself to the soil containing extra minerals that generate interesting flavours. Most unroasted coffee beans are green but due to the soil, these beans are blue, attributed to the low iron content in the soil.
Sumatra covers a distinct range of flavours, it tends to have an earthy taste in the back of the mouth, some would describe it to taste like herbs. It has the lowest acidity of any other coffee but is combined with a rather rich, thick body. There are also hints of vanilla, cocoa and cedar within the cup - these tend to really pop out in a different way.