What is the cultivation story of Bolivia's La Llama coffee farm? What are the growing conditions for La Llama coffee?

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The Cultivation Story of Bolivia's La Llama Coffee Farm

This very special Java micro-lot comes from a new farm called Finca La Llama, planted in 2015. This is the farm's first year of harvest, with very small production but excellent quality. It sits on a small 10-hectare farm in the "colonia" (settlement) of Villa Asuncion, in a lush, steep valley outside the town of Caranavi.

La Llama is owned by Pedro Rodriguez. Over the past decade, Rodriguez has worked tirelessly to build the production and market for Bolivian specialty coffee, helping hundreds of local farmers recognize and discover the potential of their land and crops.

Pedro Rodriguez entered the coffee industry 30 years ago, leaving his litigation and accounting career to pursue his passion for agriculture. Fifteen years ago, Pedro recognized the potential of Bolivian specialty coffee, and over the past decade he has built a visionary enterprise called Agricafe, dedicated to building long-term relationships with producers based on mutual trust and benefit.

Agricafe has a young, dynamic, and passionate team, including Pedro's son Pedro Pablo and daughter Daniela, representing more than 1,000 small producers in the Caranavi province and the more distant South Yungas region. Many Caranavi-based producers deliver their full cherry to Agricafe's Buena Vista Mill in Caranavi. This meticulously designed mill processes many batches separately, allowing complete traceability back to individual farmers or colonies.

In the past five years, many producers working with Agricafe have stopped producing coffee — many farmers have turned to coca cultivation for the drug trade, which provides a higher year-round income — and this has further reduced the output of those still in coffee, because of leaf rust and simple farming methods. As a result, the country's coffee production has fallen by more than half.

In 2012, Pedro Rodriguez invested in planting his own farms to ensure supply and the sustainability of his future business, while showing local farmers what can be achieved with modern agricultural techniques and scientific methods. Under a project called "Fincas Buena Vista," Agricafe now has 12 farms, with the aim of planting about 200 hectares of coffee around them.

La Llama is the highest of all the farms, at an altitude of 1,650 meters. This high altitude helps the cherries mature slowly, thanks to stable nighttime temperatures and moderate daytime temperatures. Slow maturation increases the concentration of sugars in the cherries and beans, which in turn helps produce sweeter coffee. La Llama covers 9.58 hectares, of which 5.24 hectares are coffee. Simply reaching the highest point of the farm is an experience in itself. Driving a 4×4 along winding roads as the land rises steeply, you pass through clean, tidy coffee.

Pedro and his family have invested significant time and effort to make this "model" farm something other producers in the region can learn from. The coffee is carefully organized by variety and neatly arranged, which makes harvesting easier to manage than on more traditional farms in the region.

This very special lot was selected on September 20, 2017, and processed the same day at the Rodriguez family's Buena Vista Mill. It was pulped and then fermented in water for 40 hours, during which the water was changed once, then cleaned and dried on raised beds in an open greenhouse with adjustable walls for 339 hours (14 days). The beds can be raised to allow maximum ventilation. The greenhouse shade provides sun protection, keeping the parchment from cracking and allowing the coffee to dry slowly. While drying, the coffee is turned regularly to ensure even drying and is carefully checked for defects, which are usually more visible on wet parchment.

Bolivia: Geography and Coffee Production

Bolivia has approximately eight million people, mostly of mixed Spanish and indigenous descent or their descendants. The territory is mainly divided into three regions: the eastern lowlands, the western highlands, and the valleys between them. Bolivia has two main cities: Sucre is the official capital, while La Paz is the important political and economic center. Wheat, potatoes, sugarcane, and coffee are Bolivia's main crops.

Bolivian Coffee Characteristics

Bolivian coffee trees are purebred Typica. Typica coffee is known for its clean taste. Bolivia's main production area is on the Yungas plateau at an average altitude of 12,500 feet, on the eastern slopes of the mountains that extend west toward the Occidental, including the Caranavi region. Because the climate here is cold and dry, for washed coffee fruit, the steady blowing of the special cold, dry monsoon after sufficient washing and moisture helps form a clean, distinctive taste during fermentation and drying.

Because of organic cultivation, quality stability is unexpectedly good. In particular, the range of acceptable roasts, from City to French dark roast, produces diverse flavors. Such stable yet varied character is truly rare and precious. Bolivia — a good coffee worth recommending.

FrontStreet Coffee's Pour-Over Recommendation:

Dripper: Hario V60

Water Temperature: 90 degrees

Grind Size: Small Fuji grind level 4

Brewing Method: Water-to-coffee ratio 1:15, with 15g of coffee grounds. First pour 25g of water and let it bloom for 25 seconds. Second pour to 120g and stop. Wait until the water level in the coffee bed drops to half, then pour again, slowly, until reaching 225g. Extraction time around 2:00.

Analysis: The three-stage brewing method clearly separates the front, middle, and back of the flavor profile. Because the V60 has many ribs and drains quickly, stopping the water flow can extend the extraction time.

FrontStreet Coffee Recommendation

Bolivia's clean Typica style makes it a fine destination for drinkers who like clarity, and if that is your taste, FrontStreet Coffee's entry-level lots are a good starting point. The Yunnan small-bean coffee from Baoshan is washed and medium roasted, offering soft nut and chocolate sweetness with a light plum acidity, and the 2013 Yunnan sun-dried Typica brings a heavier body with citrus, berries, a touch of fermented wine, and a creamy finish.

For a more classic clean cup, the Jamaica Blue Mountain No. 1 is well balanced and mellow, with hazelnut, cream, chocolate, and caramel and no single note dominating, while the Colombia Huila is a floral, gently acidic single origin for those who prefer a brighter profile. Each of these shares the clarity and balance that make Bolivian coffee worth seeking out.