Peru Cajamarca Org. Los Angeles SHB EP

Description

In Peru the bulk of coffee production comes from small farms owned and managed by people who follow organic farm management practice attuned to their cultural connection with the land.  Producers typically cultivate coffee on just a few acres of land intercropped with shade trees, bananas, corn, and beans.  They carefully  harvest and sort cherries before depulping, fermenting, washing, and drying the coffee using their own micro-mills.  While producers design farm management and post-harvest solutions to fit their needs, they also need a strong alliance to bring their coffee to the international market and earn fair prices.

A perfect example of This Model Is Cooperativa Agraria y De Servicios Multiples Los Angeles Coffee (Los Angeles Coffee), an organization with 109 members in the Cajamarca region, which was established to assist small producers access the specialty coffee market, carries out activities that often go unnoticed but are crucial for small producers.  Investments for basic infrastructure needs, like road improvements, establishing local warehouses, and preparing coffee for export are all coordinated through Los Angeles Coffee, which ensures traceability and quality control throughout the post harvest process.  Los Angeles Coffee also helps farmers navigate the organic and fairtrade certification process.

Tasting Notes: A fresh arrival great from a medium to dark roast. A good daily drinker. Medium to low acidity, the cup does have some jazzy more floral tones at the lighter roast points, but too light & it will be on the nutty/grassy side of things. Takes a little fuller roast to see the chocolaty side blossom. Medium roasts and beyond produce a smooth and rich cup, more chocolaty than nutty, pulls a dryer peanut brittle like tone (some may say hint of caramel), more peanut than brittle but we all thought it to be a good descriptor. Dark roasts turns the cup pretty chocolaty, retains the sweet edge and a couple tasters even noticed a little floral hint to it.

Roasting Notes: Medium to dark roasts are the way to go. A nice medium roast makes for an excellent daily drinker, smooth, sweet and balanced. Darker roasts work well if you need a little heft in the cup. Medium chaff and will roast slightly two toned. An unscreened offering, one will see smaller beans and larger beans roasting slightly different from each other but easy to hit medium to dark roast levels.