Raspberry jam. White chocolate. Apricot. This one sparkles.
We're suckers for a fully washed Bourbon out of Cajamarca, and this lot from Carlos Vega — "Don Vega" to those who know him — is a great reason why. It's bright and lively from the first sip, with a nice push-and-pull between juicy pitted fruit (that apricot note) and tart red fruit (hello, raspberry jam). There's a soft grape note that shows up here and there, and some lemony citrus lifting the aroma. Underneath it all, a white chocolate creaminess rounds things out with a texture we can only describe as hydrating — the kind of cup you want to keep coming back to.
Don Vega grows this Bourbon at 1700 masl on his farm, La Guayaba, in the Cutervo province of Cajamarca — Peru's northernmost coffee region and home to the country's oldest national park. The park's protected cloud forest feeds the water sources the farm relies on, and the volcanic soil in the area helps give this lot its clarity and balance. After picking, the cherries are washed, then sun-dried on tents and tarps for 5-8 days — a slower, careful dry that keeps the cup clean and lets the fruit character do the talking.
We roasted this one light — one dot on our scale — to protect that brightness and let the raspberry and apricot notes lead. Push it darker and you'd lose the sparkle that makes this coffee special.
This is a coffee built for pour over and filter brewing, where its clarity and acidity really get to shine.
As always, this is 100% specialty coffee — no flavours added, just careful farming, careful processing, and a roast that gets out of the way.
ORIGIN: Peru, Cajamarca
PROFILE: Light
NOTES: Raspberry jam, apricot, white chocolate
Available in 340g, 850g and 2.2kg bags of whole bean coffee.
