Peru UTZ Certified Coffee | Washed Geisha from Veracica Estate, Pasco Region, Oxapampa Province

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Peru UTZ Certified Coffee | Pasco Region Oxapampa Province Verarica Estate Washed Geisha Flavor | What is Micro-Wet-Milling Processing?

Like many Central and South American countries, throughout the 20th century, due to the sale or redistribution of large European-owned landholdings, farms became increasingly smaller and more fragmented. While this provided farmers with opportunities for independence, it also limited their access to resources and larger commercial markets. However, there was a lack of organizations or infrastructure providing economic or technical support to farmers, which non-governmental organizations and certification agencies attempted to fill. The country has a considerable number of organic coffee certifications, Fair Trade certifications, Rainforest Alliance certifications, and UTZ certifications (UTZ certification is also known as International Quality Certification). Approximately 30% of small farmers are members of democratic cooperatives, which has increased local awareness of coffee but has not brought people incredibly high-quality products.

Coffee Origin Details

Region: Pasco

Oxapampa: Oxapampa

Altitude: 1,700 meters

Variety: Geisha (locally called Geysha in Peru)

Annual Rainfall: Approximately 1,200mm

Processing Method: Washed, rack-dried in the sun

When it comes to Peru, there are endless fascinating stories—ancient and mysterious Indian legends, the city in the sky (Machu Picchu), the enigmatic Nazca Lines, Andean mountain peaks that pierce the sky, South America's largest freshwater lake—Lake Titicaca (at 3,812 meters, almost as high as Jade Mountain)... and let's not forget, Peru is also the home of llamas, which Taiwanese affectionately call "grass mud horses." Peru is such an interesting country, and in the specialty coffee world, Peru is also one of the most fascinating presences.

When it comes to Peruvian coffee, the easiest association is organic certified coffee. Peru's organic coffee, apart from its inherent human and natural conditions, is also largely supported by government policies, making it arguably the most important production area in the organic coffee market. However, perhaps due to the deep-rooted stereotype of organic coffee, Peru's specialty coffee development is often overlooked. In fact, Peru possesses what could be called crazy conditions for specialty coffee production—no joke, truly crazy.

Blessed by the Andes Mountains, Peru's altitude and topographical diversity are unique. Flying to the ancient capital of Cusco, you can enjoy the sight of Andean mountain peaks piercing through the clouds from the plane, but just an hour's flight away, the capital Lima is undeniably a coastal city. We traveled to Peru's eastern production region, this time taking a night bus, a sleeper that departed at 8 PM and arrived around 9 AM the next morning. In just twelve short hours, traveling from sea level across mountain roads at about 5,000 meters altitude, then descending to production areas at about 2,000 meters, was a lifelong unforgettable experience. In Peru, planting altitudes of 1,800 or even 2,000 meters are not uncommon. Coffee-producing families, mainly consisting of Indian ethnic groups who prefer peaceful coexistence with nature, use the most natural cultivation methods and preserve many old tree varieties.

2017 was an important year for Peruvian specialty coffee. The first Cup of Excellence (COE), under the eager anticipation of many members, was finally held in October 2017, marking that Peruvian coffee farmers would expand their focus beyond organic coffee. The batch we selected this time was also acquired through special channels during the COE competition.

In the 2010s, Peru was one of the major producers of Arabica coffee, ranking fifth in world production and export of Arabica coffee. However, the remoteness of coffee farms and the incredibly small typical farm size hindered the differentiation of many individual farms, which allowed for microbial development and marketing in other growing regions. The country's lush highlands and excellent heirloom varieties provide growers with the potential to overcome limited infrastructure and market access barriers. As production increases, we are more likely to see these types of advances.

Peruvian coffee farmers' land areas are small, and the country's typical micro-wet-milling operations are even smaller. From May to September, farmers harvest ripe coffee cherries and transport them to manual pulpers and wooden fermentation tanks. (In Peru, coffee processing is mainly done through wet milling on the plantation land. During this process, the coffee bean's moisture content is reduced to about 20%, then transported to drying facilities. However, this decentralized system is detrimental to Peru's northern coffee growing regions as it leads to quality inconsistencies and promotes rot and fungal growth.)

After processing the coffee, most farmers walk or ride mules to the nearest town to sell their coffee—a journey that can take anywhere from 30 minutes to 8 hours. On Saturdays, the nearest town square becomes a trading post for surrounding remote coffee growers. Farmers sell their coffee and purchase goods needed for their lives before returning to the mountains.

This is the first time we have selected beans from the Peru region. We are bringing three high-quality coffees, each with different flavors—noble yet affordable, all in very limited quantities. These are very rare high-quality Peruvian specialty coffees that you shouldn't miss.

Cupping Brief Review

✦ Peru Pasco Region Oxapampa Province Verarica Estate Geisha Washed

The dry aroma is delicate and elegant, with captivating notes of frangipani, blueberry, Earl Grey tea, and lemon peel. Upon entry, it unfolds with pleasant flavors of frangipani, blueberry, peach, bergamot, lemon peel, and coffee flowers—engaging and inviting, with a memorable aftertaste.

✦ Peru Pasco Region Oxapampa Province Verarica Estate Yellow Catura Natural Process

Sweet and robust dry aroma with wine-like notes, mango, peach, passion fruit, and red guava. The entry features intoxicating wine-like notes, berries, peaches, rum raisins, floral notes, along with complex and intense flavors of melon and papaya.

✦ Peru Amazon Region Rodriguez Mendoza Province San Nicolas Cooperative Maragogype/Caturra Washed

Dry aroma with orange peel, citrus, grapefruit, and some spicy notes. The flavor features citrus, grapefruit, black tea, dried figs, and cranberries—robust flavors with a toffee-cocoa finish.

FrontStreet Coffee Recommended Brewing:

Dripper: Hario V60

Water Temperature: 90°C

Grind Size: Fuji Mini R 3.5

Brewing Method: Water-to-coffee ratio 1:15, 15g coffee grounds. First infusion with 25g water, bloom for 25s. Second infusion to 120g, then pause. Wait until the water level drops to half, then slowly continue pouring until reaching 225g total. Extraction time around 2:00.

Analysis: Using a three-stage brewing method to clearly distinguish the front, middle, and back-end flavors of the coffee. Because the V60 has many ribs and drains quickly, pausing during pouring can extend the extraction time.

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