PERU
San Ignacio

This lot is a blend of day lots from producers in the San Ignacio districts of Chirinos, San Jose de Lourdes, and Tabaconas. The producers in these areas pick and process their coffee themselves, and typically dry the coffee on a lined patio. After being picked, the coffee is rested for 24 hours before being dried for 25-30 days. The main varieties grown are caturra, bourbon, catuai, and typica.

These three districts are among the most promising quality areas in all of Latin America, with high altitudes and ideal growing conditions. Since these day lots were very small, we couldn’t export them as individual lots. Therefore, we created this blend with all of the day lots that matched this heavily fruited, complex, and floral cup profile.

The altitude of the Andes combined with rich volcanic soils and tropical rainfall means that Peru has the ideal topography and climate for producing high quality Arabica coffee. We identified the problem as post-harvest processing. Farmers had received little to no training on the chemistry and precision required to maximise the quality of their coffees. We realised that if we provided training that demanded attention to detail, we would need to offer the financial incentive to reward those farmers who made the effort.