Strawberry jam, candied pecans and px sherry.

Farm: Carmelita
Country: Bolivia
Province: Caranavi
Colony: Copacabana
Elevation: 1,600–1,650 masl
Variety: Caturra, Catuaí
Processing: Natural
Producer: Carmela Aduviri
Sourced Through: Melbourne Coffee Merchants

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This coffee was produced by Carmela Aduviri from Copacabana, a small and remote settlement located 180 kilometres from La Paz in the heart of the Caranavi province. This region is the epicentre for specialty coffee production in Bolivia, with incredibly high altitudes, rich soil, and wide daily temperature ranges providing the perfect conditions for exceptional coffee.

The inhabitants of Copacabana first began farming coffee around 35 years ago. Farms here are small and traditional. Almost all work is carried out by the farm's owners and their extended families, with a handful of temporary workers taken on to help out during harvest. All of the producers at Copacabana were born into the Aymara, an ancient indigenous group which lived on the Altiplano (a vast plateau of the central Andes that stretches from southern Peru to Bolivia and into northern Chile and Argentina). The region was known for the world’s highest lake, called Titicaca, and when their families moved to Caranavi, they named their ‘colony’, or settlement, Copacabana.

Carmela has worked in coffee for fourty years while raising eight children. Her farm, “Carmelita”, is about 2 hectares in size, and is located at an altitude of 1,400 to 1,550 metres above sea level. Today Carmela manages the farm with her son, and together they have worked incredibly hard on improving and producing the best quality coffee they can. They grow a mix of Caturra and Catuaí variety trees on their farm, which grow in a rich clay soil under the protective shade of native forest trees, whose heavy leaf fall creates a natural mulch fertiliser, and whose canopy provides an important habitat for the many bird and insect species in the area.

The families who live in Copacabana, including the Aduviri family, used to depend on the local market to sell their coffee, meaning low prices and little reliability. Now they selectively pick their coffee cherries and are able to sell their top-grade coffees for substantially higher prices to MCM's partners at Agricafe, which processes specialty lots at its Buena Vista wet mill which is located in Caranavi.

The first of its kind in the country, the Sol de la Manaña program is aimed at sharing knowledge and technical assistance with local producers to create better quality coffees in higher quantities. By doing so Agricafe hopes that coffee production can be a viable and sustainable crop for producers, like Carmela, in the region for many years to come.

Carmela joined the Sol de la Mañana program in 2015. As a member of the program, she has followed a very structured series of courses, focused on improving her quality and yield. The curriculum focuses on one aspect of farming at a time, and covers things such as how to build a nursery, how and when to use fertiliser, how to prune, has how to selectively pick coffee. Agricafe also hosts workshops with leading agronomists throughout the year. These forums have allowed the producers to meet one another, share their experiences and discuss ways to tackle problems they are experiencing. Over time the producers have become more experienced and confident and actively sharing their learning with each other.

The results of this program have been profound, with improved quality and quantities for all participating producers. In addition, the producers have become more confident and proactive and engaged as a community and are sharing their learnings and experiences with each other. Daniela explains that this is where the program becomes really powerful: “We are giving them the tools and know-how, but they are actively choosing to follow our advice and invest in their farms. Now they can see the results, they trust us 100% and helping their neighbours achieve similar results.”

Since becoming a member, Carmela has built a vibrant coffee nursery and learnt to prune, feed, and manage her coffee plantation in order to increase her yield. The program has helped her invest in her plantation and encouraged her to take a long-term view, and in doing so she has established the foundations for a more sustainable and ultimately more profitable future for her family. As her farm has increased its yield and quality has improved Carmela has recognised that she can live off her 2 hectares of land if she focuses on quality and takes a modern farming approach. She is now actively teaching her sons what she has learnt so that they can buy a farm themselves and implement best practice farming techniques from the outset.

After the coffee was delivered, it was placed into a floatation tank and all floaters were removed. The whole cherries were then dried on on raised beds in the sun and turned turned regularly to ensure it dried evenly. The drying was then finished off at a very low temperature in a stationary drier. The coffee was then transported to La Paz where it was rested, and then milled at the Rodriguez family’s brand new dry mill. At the mill, the coffee was carefully screened again by machines and also by hand to remove any defects.

Carmela worked hard to collect and process the cherries for this special micro lot and carefully hand polished all of the cherries before delivering them to the mill! A whole lot of love and hard work has gone into this coffee.. we hope you enjoy it!

Read about the Sol de la Mañana program here and Pedro Rodgriguez here and about Bolivian coffee more generally here.

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Toasted nuts, butterscotch and milk chocolate.

Country: Brazil
State: Bahia
Region: Chapada Diamantina
Town: Mucugê
Altitude: 1,150m above sea level
Variety: Catuaí
Processing: Natural
Owner: Borré Family
Awards: Cup of Excellence 2015 #15
Sourced Through: Melbourne Coffee Merchants

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Fazenda Progresso is a beautiful farm nestled in the Chapada Diamatina mountain range in the heart of Bahia. The farm is surrounded by the Chapada Diamantina National Park, known for its mountainous cliff formations (Chapada) and 19th century diamond mining (Diamantina).

The history of Fazenda Progresso dates back to 1984, when the Borré family migrated from southern Brazil to the northeast and purchased some land in the municipality of Ibicoara, near the town of Mucugê. In the early years, the family tried growing crops such as soybeans, wheat, and English potatoes. The potatoes turned out to be an incredibly successful crop, stimulating investments and making the family one of the largest producers of potatoes in Brazil!

In 2005, the Borré family sought to diversify the activities on their land, and so began to focus on coffee. As MCM learnt when they first met the family, when they commit to a new project, they seek to do it to the very highest possible standard. Their work with coffee is no exception. The family’s commitment to producing exceptional coffee has been unwavering over the last decade. They have sought advice from some of the most respected professionals in the field, including Silvio Leite, founder of the Cup of Excellence and president of the Brazil Specialty Coffee Association, with 30 years’ experience in coffee grading, tasting, and quality control.

The Borré family has invested heavily to ensure that they have the very best infrastructure to process coffee, which allows them to control quality every step of the way, from picking right through to export. They have a dedicated quality control lab with a talented cupping team headed up by Ednaldo Nascimento (AKA ‘Gandula’—nicknamed after the boy that replaces the ball during a soccer match)! Gandula and his team assess every lot of coffee produced and ensure that the quality is the very best it can be.

The Borrés are very hands-on in their approach to managing the farm. They are extremely professional in the way they conduct their business, and they take great care to create an excellent work environment for their staff. Throughout the year, there are around 200 permanent staff members on the farm, and this number grows to 650 during the harvest. Many of these harvest workers return every year, and all are provided with daily bus transportation and food.

In total, 700 hectares of the property are dedicated to coffee; this land is divided up into different plots, which are processed separately. Over time, the family has worked out the optimum way to plant coffee trees in order to maximise productivity, with 50 centimetres between each tree and three metres between each row of trees. This year we have purchased coffee from four different plots on the property; each is extremely unique in its profile, and all are exceptional!

The Borré family business has always been managed and directed by family members and is now in its third generation of operation. Fabiano Borré looks after everything to do with the coffee side of the business. He is young, focused and very motivated to produce the very best coffee he can. You can read an interview with Fabiano Borré here.

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Passionfruit, bergamot and peaches.

Producer: Inmaculada Coffee Farms
Region : Pichindé, Cali
Country: Colombia
Processing: Natural
Elevation: 1,700 - 2,000m
Varieties: Geisha
Sourced Through: Langdon Coffee Merchants

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About the Geisha Variety

Geisha, sometimes referred to as Geisha, is a variety of coffee. It is considered to produce a very aromatic and floral cup of coffee and the demand for it has grown in recent years. To explain why people like geisha first there is a need to explain how the coffee industry looks at quality. As an industry the coffee world has informally agreed and generally calibrated that certain flavors and sensations are better than others. This concept of better is built on the idea that if a flavor or sensation is rarer or more clearly perceived it is superior. The flavors though must be driven by either fruit, tea, and or florality.

This variety will feel the most familiar in the set. Originally from Ethiopia, Geisha gained notoriety in Costa Rica and Panama in the early years of specialty coffee. This variety is globally recognized (and celebrated) for its distant floral fragrance and aroma, tea-like characteristics, and delicate fruit flavors. Geisha has dominated the competition scene over the past few years, skyrocketing its popularity and availability across the globe.

This variety is known to be the most exclusive coffee till this day at international levels, thanks to a coffee producer which was able to distinguish this variety from the others. He noticed that it was special, it smells and tastes like nothing before; mandarin, ginger, mango, cinnamon and lots of flower aromas like jasmine. So far, only at the highest point of Chiriqui Panama, is where the geisha was able to release its full potential, it could be caused by the weather, volcanic soil, height and local agricultural techniques and traditions. Many producers have tried to replicate this variety in different parts of the world, due to its really high price, but none have been as successful as the ones grown in Chiriqui Panama. It is known to produce a high quality bean at high altitudes, over 1500 MASL. This variety is considered to be a low productive plant. It is resistant to the roya and as well to a fungus called “Ojo de Gallo”.

Geisha in the cup is complex, floral, expressive, clear, vibrant, and delicious. It is a unique coffee that has attracted prices because of this uniqueness. A lot of what is delicious about geisha can be traced back to its origin, Ethiopia. Geisha coffee is expressed as "The miraculous and the best coffee in the world", "The most expensive one", or "Coffee with refined fruity flavor and sweet taste". It has a refined sweet taste like a full ripened tangerine and a flavor like a flower of Jasmine. With a refreshing flavor the profile of Geisha makes it a champion among coffee varieties.

About Inmaculada Coffee Farms

In 2010 the Holguin family, after long years of experience in the agriculture field, have decided to embark in a coffee journey. For more than 80 years they have been involved in sugar cane in the region of Valle del Cauca and Palm oil trees in the region of Nariño for around 30 years.

Only 20 minutes away from Cali, in a small town called Pichindé located in the Andes mountains, they have decided to make use of an untouched forest they always had in their family farm. The location was perfect to grow coffee; weather, altitude, rainfall etc. They started with 5.12 hectares and today, 9 years later, they have around 50 hectares of which 30 are planted and the rest is kept as natural forest.

These 50 hectares are divided into four different farms located in the same region but in different areas thus having different climate conditions (Altitude, humidity, rainfall etc.) Those farms are El Jardin, Las Nubes, Monserrat and Inmaculada Concepcion. In those farms are planted some of the rarest and most special coffees like Rume Sudan, Eugenoides, Laurina, Gesha, Maragesha and so on.

In 2013, Intelligentsia saw so much potential that they decided to launch a special event in Chicago. An event was held in one of their coffee shops in February of 2014 for anyone who wanted to attend that included a presentation with open questions and tasting of three varities: Laurina, Marageisha and Sudan Rume. After that day we were able to open up to other countries like UK, Australia, Japan, Korea and much more.

Today, after 9 years of hard work, they are expanding our production line and experimenting in new areas of specialty coffees to bring to all the coffee lovers around the world (including Colombia off course) something that will make them fall in love.

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Brown sugar, guava & blackberries.

State: Tolima
Municipality: Ibagué
Country: Colombia
Processing: Washed (Extended)
Elevation: 1,900m
Variety: Caturra, Colombia & Castillo
Sourced Through: Melbourne Coffee Merchants

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This micro-lot was produced by Juan Carlos Diaz and his father Carlos Julio Diaz on their 12-hectare farm, El Naranjal (meaning “the orange” in Spanish) located near the small community of Laureles, in the municipality of Ibagué, in Colombia’s Tolima state.

El Naranjal is situated in the high hills to the South West of Tolima’s capital city, Ibagué. There are no roads that access the farm, so visitors must climb a steep and slippery path from 1750 meters to 1900 meters above sea level, across rugged terrain. The double story farmhouse sits on the peak of a hill, surrounded by high mountains and coffee trees. The highest points of the farm are over 2000 meters above sea level and can only be reached on foot or by mule.

About Laureles

Historically the area around the small town of Laureles has been known for cattle, sugarcane and vegetables. Coffee is a relatively new crop for the region, having only been planted in the last 30-40 years. Most coffee farmers purchased land in the area because it was more affordable than traditional coffee farming areas like Planadas and Chaparral, in Tolima’s south. Higher elevation areas were considered less prosperous than lower areas because they typically achieve lower yields. However, this region has since gained acclaim for the high cup quality, sweetness and complexity of the coffees produced here.

About Tolima

Coffee from Tolima has historically been very difficult to access due to the region’s isolation and instability. For many years this part of Colombia was under the control of Colombia’s notorious rebel group, the FARC, and as a result, it was unsafe and violent. Since 2012, safe access to this region has been possible as a result of peace talks between the Colombian government and the rebels. Since this time some stunning coffees from small producers have become accessible to the international market.

How This Coffee Was Sourced

The coffee is sourced by MCM's export partners, Pergamino, who purchase coffee from about 40 independent coffee growers in the region of Ibagué. This is the second year that Juan Carlos and Carlos Julio have sold coffee to Pergamino. During a visit to his farm, Carlos Julio recounted the story of the first time they sold a coffee lot to them when the coffee only achieved a cup score of 80 from the QC team. Following the advice of Pergamino’s co-founder and agronomist, Léonardo Henao Triana, Carlos Julio began fermenting his coffee to remove the sticky fruit of the coffee cherry from the seed, rather than using a mechanical demucilager. The result was a significantly higher cup score, which could be sold with a higher premium. With Pergamino’s assistance, Juan Carlos and Carlo Julio’s goal is to have a consistent cup score of 86 or higher, which will secure the best premiums. They intend to add a second fermentation tank to his ‘micro-beneficio’ (mill) so that he has the space to ferment all of his coffee, even during peak harvest.

During harvest, the Diaz family deliver small lots (around 100-150kg) of dried parchment to Pergamino’s Ibagué warehouse every 1-2 weeks. Mules are used to transport the coffee down from the highest parts of El Naranjal to Laureles, where it is transferred into small trucks to complete the journey to Ibagué. Only recently a bridge was built over the river that runs through Laureles, Rio Luisa – previously mules had to carry to coffee through the river and many drowned as a result. The new bridge is an incredible point of progress for the small community.

Each season the team at Pergamino cups through hundreds of small lots from independent farmers, looking for coffees that exhibit excellent cup characteristics and showcase the region where they were produced. This year, Carlos Julio’s and Juan Carlos’ coffee was selected to be processed separately as a micro-lot for its distinct character and high cup quality.

Pergamino has done a lot to help promote commercialisation of specialty coffee throughout Tolima and have actively been working to source and support coffee producers in regions where there is a high potential for quality, but historically have not had access to specialty buyers. Read more about their work here.

How This Coffee Was Processed

This lot was selectively hand-harvested, with most labour being provided by the family. During peak harvest, the family hires about 10 local labourers to help harvest the coffee cherry, who are paid on a daily rate. Juan Carlos and Carlos Julio prefer to work with the same pickers every year as they have taught them how to select only the ripest cherry for processing. To ensure pickers come and work for them they pay a 15%-20% premium on the local daily rate and provides workers with three meals a day.

The coffee was fermented for 24hrs in the cherry, before being processed using the washed method at El Naranjal’s ‘micro-benficio’ (wet mill). The coffee was floated in the mill’s plastic hopper and then pulped using a small electric pulper. The coffee is then fermented for a further 36hrs in bags, before being finished in the tank for another 12hrs. This is a space saving method, which will change once new tanks are added to the mill.

The coffee was carefully dried on raised beds over 20-30 days.
Following fermentation, the coffee was washed using clean water from the Rio Luisa. It was then carefully dried (over 20-30 days) on parabolic beds, which are constructed a bit like a ‘hoop house’ greenhouse, and act to protect the coffee from the rain and prevent condensation dripping back onto the drying beans. The greenhouse is constructed out of plastic sheets and have adjustable walls to help with airflow, and temperature control to ensure the coffee can dry slowly and evenly.

Once dry, the coffee was delivered to Pergamino’s warehouse, where it was cupped and graded, and then rested in parchment until it was ready for export.

Read more about MCM's Colombian export partner Pergamino here.

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Sticky date pudding with a banana liqueur.

Farm: La Divisa
Region: Circasia, Quindio
Country: Colombia
Processing: Natural
Elevation: 1,700 - 1,750m
Varieties: 100% Pink Bourbon
Sourced Through: Cofinet

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Produced by Sebastian Gomez at Finca La Divisa - coffee cherries are carefully handpicked to ensure only the ripest are used. Sebastian primarily grows Castillo, Variedad Colombia and Pink Bourbon (which this lot is); in 2018 he also planted 5,000 Geisha trees.

Sebastian has been working with Cofinet since 2017 and they have experienced first-hand his commitment to improving upon every harvest.

This particular micro-lot is composed entirely of coffee from Pink Bourbon trees. The varietal is currently under research to determine its origin - but suffice to say it is entirely unique and exquisite in flavour!

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