Our latest sweet, peachy microlot is from Andy Llanos Delgado is a great example of why we love coffees from Peru.
Andy Llanos is a young second generation farmer from the small district of Colasay in Jaén, Cajamarca, in the mountains of the Cordillera Occidental. Once a mechanic in the coastal city of Chiclayo, Andy moved home in 2016 to take over the family farm when his father’s health deteriorated.
After renovating and replanting the farm, which sits at 1,800 metres above sea level, Andy split the land up between his siblings. Today he runs a small two hectare plot called Pluma Dorada alongside his mother, although he recently purchased a further three hectare plot nearby where he is experimenting with new varieties like Sidra as well as rare Ethiopian varieties like Gesha and Wush Wush.
It is at Pluma Dorada that he experiments with varieties, farming techniques, and processing methods. Two things make this coffee stand out and contribute to its uniquely peachy, floral flavour: the processing and the variety.
What is Mosto and how is it used in Coffee Fermentation?
Andy is always experimenting with processing methods, and for this coffee used a washed method that included a two day submersion ferment to accentuate the fruit notes. The coffee was picked and cleaned and then left to rest overnight. The next day it was pulped to remove the fruit before being sealed in barrels and covered in fresh spring water along with any mosto. Mosto is the name for the liquid that is naturally released during fermentation and processing of coffee cherries. When collected and reintroduced to the fermentation process, it can help accentuate fruit notes in the final cup.
The coffee in these barrels was then left to ferment for 48 hours before being drained, washed, and laid out to dry on raised beds.
Introducing the Tabi Varietal
The second aspect that makes this coffee interesting is the variety: Tabi is a relatively new and rare hybrid cultivar, developed over 25 years by the Colombian coffee research institute Cenicafé and introduced in 2002. Cenicafé is the research arm of the Colombian Coffee Growers Federation (FNC), created in 1938 to study agronomy, biotechnology, and economics relating to coffee. Since its founding, the centre has developed a number of disease-resistant coffee varieties as well as innovations in coffee processing and sustainable agriculture.
Tabi means “good” in the dialect of the native Colombian tribe Guambiano, and is a cross between Bourbon, Typica, and Timor hybrid.
Tabi was developed specifically for its resistance to coffee leaf rust, a devastating coffee disease that has spread around the world since its emergence in the 19th century. Timor hybrid was chosen for its disease resistance, while Bourbon is known for its exceptional quality and Typica provided cup quality as well as heat and drought resistance.
Trees of the Tabi variety tend to be taller than average and produce small, dense beans. Its disease resistance and higher than average yields make it a popular option for many farmers in regions impacted by coffee leaf rust who are trying to balance resilience with exceptional cup quality.
