by Isabella Vitaliano
Welcome to our Specialty Green Coffee Cupping Series on Thursdays where we highlight recent arrivals. We select several coffees to cup at The Crown and provide more in-depth tasting notes, coffee background, and usage recommendations
31999 Nicaragua FT-FLO/USA Organic Alto De Jinotega De Coomulfac SHG EP
Hefty and full-bodied, this is your classic Nicaraguan profile. Immensely dense and chocolatey this lot would be ideal to add to a blender to create some fullness in the cup in an espresso or drip blend. We recommend roasting this medium plus to dark roast range as the extra caramelization will cohesively compliment the body.
What is the best way to support producers? Juan de Dios Castillo ( the family’s agronomist) and his 4 siblings were looking to answer when they created J&M Family Coffee, a privately, owned export company named after their parents Juan and Mariiam. The goal was initially to sell directly to international buyers. The group paired up with other producers who are focused on quality and environmental responsibility to help them find access to the international market.
J&M Family Coffee helped these producers establish a cooperative called Cooperativa Multifunctional Family Coffee to organize their efforts and combine resources to gain certification and develop social projects aimed at improving the quality of life in their communities. Members of COOMULFAC own small farms with just a few acres of coffee production. Small enough that they do a majority of processing on site and then deliver coffee to prepare for export. The team ensures quality control, and traceability from farm to export so producers earn better income to reinvest in their farms and strengthen their families’ livelihoods.
31459 Peru FT-FLO/USA Organic SMBC Pangoa SHB EP
A very classic take on a Peruvian coffee, in the cup you will find light citrus, balanced sweetness, and sweet almonds. The cup is a bit simple but has the opportunity to take many forms on your menu. A medium to medium plus roast level is good to keep the balance between the sweetness, acidity, and body.
This lot is sourced from family-owned farms organized around the Cooperativa Agraria Cafetelara Pango Ltda. This association is comprised of 650 small coffee producers from the districts of Pangoa, Mazamari, and Rio Rambo in the Junin Region of Peru. CAC Pangoa was founded in 1977 to support quality coffee production and ensure better income for its members. They provide zero-interest loans for restoration of coffee farms damaged by leaf rust. Members also have access to zero-interest loans for education, health care, and home improvements.
31523 Peru Organic Cajamarca El Cautivo SHB EP
From chocolate to cacao nib to lemon balm and almond, this lot from the Peerales Hancaruna cooperative is a delicious addition to your menu. For optimal performance we recommend keeping this lot in the medium to medium plus range, any darker might make for an imbalanced cup.
Perales Hancaruna (PERUSHA) is a cooperative in the northern region of the Andes mountains that manages coffee from farmer associates throughout the region. This specific lot comes to us from a combination of small family-run farms in the caution municipality, near the city of San Ignacio, close to the Ecuadorian border. During harvest, the farms have minimal if any, hired labor to assist with picking and land management, all of which is carefully and entirely done by hand. Once picked, coffee is mechanically de-pulped using a small machine, fermented in an above-ground tank for 24-36 hours, manually scrubbed clean using fresh water, and then dried for about 10 days on small patios, and classically raised screen beds. It is very common to see small farms owned and managed by people who have for many years followed organic farm management practices attuned to their cultural connection with the land.
32162 Peru Organic Grade 1
This lot from Perales Hancurna cooperative stood out on the table next to a table of organic Perus. The team got notes of orange, thyme, dark caramel, and a lovely herbal note to round it out. Due to its inherently balanced nature, this coffee has the range to perform well on a light roast all the way to a medium plus roast level. Offer it as a lovely drip option, or even use it as a solid base component in a blend. The options are endless and either way you take it, your customers will be impressed!
Perales Hancaruna (PERUSHA) is a cooperative in the northern region of the Andes mountains that manages coffee from farmer associates throughout the region. This specific lot comes to us from a combination of small family-run farms in the caution municipality, near the city of San Ignacio, close to the Ecuadorian border. During harvest, the farms have minimal if any, hired labor to assist with picking and land management, all of which is carefully and entirely done by hand. Once picked, coffee is mechanically de-pulped using a small machine, fermented in an above-ground tank for 24-36 hours, manually scrubbed clean using fresh water, and then dried for about 10 days on small patios, and classically raised screen beds. It is very common to see small farms owned and managed by people who have for many years followed organic farm management practices attuned to their cultural connection with the land.
