Bolivian Coffee Flavor Profile - How Does Bolivian Coffee Taste? Brewing Recommendations

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Bolivia: Paradise for Coffee Bean Growth

If there's a paradise for coffee bean growth, it must be Bolivia. This producing region can be considered one of the most recommended specialty coffee producing regions. The coffee beans from this region mostly have a sweet character that's very appealing, but... the quantity of coffee beans is quite scarce.

This country located in Central and South America is one of the five most diverse countries in the world, surrounded by five countries. The terrain and climate are extremely diverse: there's Illimani Peak reaching 6,462 meters, Lake Titicaca - the world's highest navigable alpine lake at 3,812 meters, and tropical rainforests! Calling this diverse terrain a paradise for specialty coffee micro-lots is no exaggeration at all.

Bolivia's coffee production is primarily based on small-scale farming systems, with 23,000 small family farms nationwide ranging between 2-9 hectares. What's particularly special is that approximately 40% of Bolivia's coffee culture is focused on domestic consumption. The main varieties are Arabica, primarily Typica, Caturra, Criollo, Catuai, and Catimor. The harvest season runs from July to November, with mostly washed coffee beans, though some are natural processed.

Bolivian cultivation is almost entirely organic, which should theoretically make it the next major hub for specialty coffee development. However, Bolivia's production has been declining year after year in recent times. From 1997 to 2014, export volume decreased annually to only a quarter of what it once was. According to Roast Magazine data, its coffee production ranks 38th, even behind the United States which ranks 35th. Yet Bolivia, such a promising producing region, remains a small coffee exporting region, accounting for less than 0.1% of global production. Why is this?

The main reason is Bolivia's underdeveloped economy and infrastructure. Bolivia is currently still the poorest country in South America. Although Bolivia's uniquely diverse terrain is advantageous for coffee growth, poverty and poor infrastructure have become critical factors that harm coffee processing, transportation, and quality. Bolivia's most famous region is La Paz, including Caranavi, North & South Yungas, and Inquisivi areas. And this region is home to one of the world's most dangerous roads, nicknamed the "Death Road" (Yungas Road), also known as "the world's most dangerous road."

Take the North Yungas Road, for example - it features at least 600 meters (1,830 feet) of dramatic descent, with most sections being single-track roads not exceeding 3.2 meters (10 feet) in width, and no guardrails along the route, making this road extremely dangerous. Frequent rain, fog, and dust also reduce driving visibility. In some sections, the road surface is very muddy with occasional loose falling rocks, where carelessness could lead to losing control and plunging into the valley below.

According to official statistics, Yungas Road averages about 209 traffic accidents annually, causing 96 deaths. Such dangerous road conditions make coffee bean exportation extremely difficult for Bolivia, and also hard for outsiders to obtain. Paradise-like flavors, delivered through the death road to reach various specialty coffee buyers' hands - thus specialty micro-lot Bolivian coffee can be described as extremely precious and hard to find. Even though the environment is so suitable for coffee bean development, poor infrastructure has become the biggest obstacle to coffee processing, transportation, and export, so production far falls short of other major specialty coffee countries. Every time we get Bolivian beans, they are exceptionally precious. Although Bolivia's coffee market share is small and its recognition is not high, Bolivian coffee beans are almost all very sweet, with floral, creamy, and chocolate notes that almost everyone will love. The flavors are direct and easy to understand - a place with great potential for cultivating stunning varieties.

Cupping Notes

Dry Aroma:

Dried blueberries, almonds, nuts, with a hint of chocolate sweetness.

Wet Aroma:

Milk candy, caramel, brown sugar, fruit notes, herbal tea, woody notes, nutty aromas, rich berry fragrance, with a subtle hint reminiscent of Yirgacheffe - is that floral notes?!

Palate:

Dense, smooth, and rich, with a full, rounded body and thick nutty aromas. When sipped, you can feel a slight acidity in the middle of the tongue, which transforms into obvious sweetness at the root of the tongue upon swallowing. When cooled, the acidity increases slightly but becomes even sweeter - excellent!

Recommended Brewing Parameters:

V60/90°C/1:15 ratio/Brewing time: two minutes

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