Description
Bolivian coffee has really struggled the last couple years and pretty much dried up in most importers minds. Been a couple years easy since we have seen some nice lots. They had been hit with economic issues alongside bad coffee disease to make a whirlwind of issues for the coffee growers. Many had abandoned their trees and moved on to other crops or work. Finally it is starting to come back, lots of new plantings over the last couple years along with co-ops starting to spread more accommodating strains through their memberships. A nice lot from our buddy Joey at Cafe Kreyol, he went down to Bolivia and sourced this one personally.
The co-op was formed in 2013, and is located in the Yungas region near La Paz, and it includes about 40 families. The Yungas region is forested, and it runs along the western slope of the Andes Mountains, near Peru. The rainy and warm climate makes it especially well-suited for coffee production and cultivation. They produce washed coffees, and grow mostly the Typica strain of Arabica).
They dry the coffee under the sun on raised beds at their mill. They have modernized their coffee production quite a bit lately, from traditional methods that were leaving them vulnerable to coffee leaf rust and with old trees, to new production methods that include building nurseries and green houses, carefully analyzing the soil to understand how best to treat it, caring carefully for the seeds, and applying organic fertilizers and composts to improve their harvests. They’re also planting farms with new trees since many of the old trees hadn’t been properly pruned.
Tasting Notes: A very nicely balanced cup of coffee. A little hint of acidity upfront providing some floral and soft fruit at the lighter roasts, balanced with a semi-sweet nutty chocolaty factor. Super light roasts risk a little grassy/herbal but it straightens out at a city+ (medium) and holds up as dark as you want to take it. The darker you go, the more body and edgy chocolate the cup will pick up, once you hit 2nd crack, expect some smoke and roasty tones to compliment the nutty/chocolaty factor.
Roasting Notes: Avoid super light roasts, shines from a city plus to full city roast but also tasty at the dark roast points. If shooting for a lighter roast point, good to drag the roast out a bit. Being a microlot it will roast a little two toned, just make sure the beans on the lighter spectrum get a little development past first crack.
Aaron Rupp (verified owner) –
I enjoyed this more than I expected.
Reminded me of Mexican Chocolate. On the flavor wheel, it was molasses, chocolate, hazelnut, cinnamon.
When it dried in the cup, it reminded me of beef jerkey. Smoky with nitrates.
Looking forward to trying this again.