Eli Espinoza (Peru)

Starting off the year right with the new harvest from Eli Espinoza’s natural processed caturra. This is our 3rd year working with this coffee with a score of 86.5.

Fast facts

Tasting notes: Passion fruit, champagne acidity, green grape

VARIETY: Caturra

PROCESS: Natural

FARMER: Eli Espinoza Soberón

FARM: San Ignacio

REGION: Las Pirias, Chirinos, Cajarmarca

MUNICIPALITY:  

ALTITUDE:  1,800 masl

Story:

Eli Espinoza has been working in the world of coffee for more than 15 years, and has spent 4 years working with specialty coffees. He, his wife and his three children live on the farm and do most of the work together; they only hire staff during harvest. Don Eli managed to position himself in 8th place in the cup of excellence in 2020 with his natural coffee. The coffee growing areas of San Ignacio are different from most of the coffee areas in Jaen and Chontali, in that the climate is much cooler and drier and there is are different varieties found here which aren’t found in other districts. This variety has very light bronze buds that are fairly uncommon, the cherries cluster like a bourbon and the beans are very small and round. Elvis owns 2 ha of land planted with caturra and this bourbon-like variety. The farm sits at an altitude of 1800 masl. Eli and his family carry out most of the picking themselves, but hire additional help during the peak days of the harvest. Eli ferments his coffee for 36 to 48 hours, since the climate is quite cool, before drying on tarpaulin mats in the sun for 10 to 15 days.

Eli came to the area as a teenager looking for work on farms, and he started out picking coffee in the village. After some time working and saving, he was able to buy his own land and a house, and started producing his own coffee. 

Eli has worked closely with us since the very first days of our Peru project and has transformed from producing washed coffees scoring approximately 85 points, to officially producing the finest natural process coffee in Peru, scoring an incredible 88.73 points amongst the notoriously tough judging criteria. This natural is an explosion of fruit sweetness backed by a thick jammy finish; it is elegant, refined, with uncompromising confidence in the succulent punch it packs.

Roasting notes:

This lot is best reserved for filter. We would recommend starting with a medium heat and increasing it gradually, start with slightly bigger jumps after the turning point and smaller step ups throughout the drying stage. Once the Mallard phase is entered slowly start reducing heat in order to elongate the caramelization to exalt the sweetness. Once at first crack develop around 10-12% for a nice fruity sweet and velvety finish. Aim for an overall roasting time around the ten minute mark.

We have secured 3 microlot coffees in small quantities and will be launching a preorder for the Colombian Box Set.

3 × 100g coffee bags from 2 producers, Diego Bermudez and Nestor Lasso.

Set will include Red Bourbon, Caturra Chiroso and Maragogype Koji Process which are 88+ scored coffees exemplifying unique flavors unlike any you have tasted.

Diego Samuel Bermudez

EL PARAÍSO

Coffee / Farm
El Paraíso

Cup Score
88.25

Cup Profile
Passionfruit, pineapple, bubblegum, boozy

Altitude
1,960 m

Process
Anaerobic Natural

Location
Cauca

Maragogype Koji Natural

Producer: Diego Sambuel Bermúdez
Region: Cauca
Farm Altitude: 1,960 m.a.s.l.
Fermentation: Koji (Amazake method)
Microorganisms: Aspergillus oryzae (Koji)

Notes: Soy sauce, spice, sweet chocolate, green apple, umami

Maragogype is one of the largest-seeded coffee varieties. It is a mutation of Typica, and traditionally these varieties tend to show flatter flavor profiles. This is because the large seed size requires higher nutrient availability; without sufficient nutrition, the tree cannot fully develop aromatic precursors, resulting in lower cup quality.

This Maragogype is an exception. Proper nutrition allows the coffee to fully express its potential, which is further enhanced through fungal fermentation using Aspergillus oryzae.

The process begins by cultivating koji on dried coffee pulp and husk. The koji grows for four days at 35°C, allowing for enzyme development. Once optimal growth is achieved, the koji is applied to fresh coffee cherries, where it continues to develop for an additional four days under aerobic conditions.

Following this stage, a wet fermentation known as the Amazake method is applied. In this technique, a wine-like fermentation is produced using coffee pulp, aiming to extract malic precursors. These aromatic compounds, including alcohols, bind to the coffee seed, increasing flavor intensity while maintaining balance in the fermented profile.

Drying is carried out in a dehumidifier to gently remove moisture, preserve delicate flavor notes, prevent over-oxidation, and halt metabolic activity to avoid over-fermentation.

Nestor Uribe Lasso

EL DIVISO Red Bourbon

Coffee / Farm
El Diviso

Cup Score
88

Cup Profile
Cherry, banana, hard candy, raw honey; sweet and balanced

Altitude
1,700–1,850 m.a.s.l.

Process
Anaerobic Natural

Location
Pitalito, Huila

Producer: Néstor Lasso

Néstor Uribe explains:

“We are the third generation growing coffee. Our grandfather, José Uribe, founded El Diviso. Through hard work as a family and consistent reinvestment, we built the infrastructure needed to process differentiated coffees—seeking better quality in both our coffee and our lives. After many years of trial and error, we standardized our processes, improved our income, and planted new varieties that allow us to produce higher-quality coffee. One of our dreams is to produce specialty coffee that reaches the entire world.”

This coffee is a Red Bourbon variety, naturally processed and grown at 1,780 m.a.s.l.

Processing Details:
Ripe cherries are floated to select only the highest-quality fruit. These undergo anaerobic fermentation in bags or jars for 70 hours at an average temperature of 17°C. The coffee is then transferred to a tank for 28 hours of oxidation, reaching a maximum temperature of 42°C.

Next, the coffee is placed into 50 kg bags for an additional 30 hours of anaerobic fermentation at 16–20°C. It is then moved into water-filled tanks at 45°C, where leachates from a previous harvest are added. This stage lasts 18 hours, with occasional stirring.

Finally, the coffee is dried in a parabolic drying system at a maximum temperature of 32°C. Once it reaches 18% moisture, drying is paused and the coffee is stored in dark bags in a dark warehouse for 60 hours. Drying then resumes until the coffee reaches 11% moisture.

EL DIVISO Caturra Chiroso

Coffee / Farm
El Diviso

Cup Score
88.25

Cup Profile
Strawberry, basil, punchy acidity

Altitude
1,800 m.a.s.l.

Process
Anaerobic Natural

Location
Pitalito, Huila

This coffee comes from third-generation producer Néstor Lasso at El Diviso. The farm spans 18 hectares, consisting of 15 hectares of coffee and 2 hectares of forest. Founded by his grandfather, José Uribe, the family has steadily reinvested to develop infrastructure for producing differentiated coffees. After years of experimentation, they standardized their processes, improving income and enabling the planting of higher-quality varieties. Their goal is to share specialty coffee with the world.

This coffee is Caturra Chiroso, naturally processed.

Processing Details:
Cherries are selectively harvested at peak ripeness (24–26 Brix), with under- and over-ripe fruit removed by hand. The coffee undergoes a 48-hour oxidation process in plastic containers, where cherries and leachates are mixed. After flotation to remove defects, the cherries undergo thermal shock by washing with 50°C water and are immediately sealed in plastic containers.

Anaerobic fermentation follows for 80 hours at 35°C. During this stage, Saccharomyces cerevisiae yeast (T58) is applied at a rate of 1 g per 5 kg of cherries. This yeast, commonly used in brewing, enhances aromatic complexity.

Drying begins with 12 hours in a mechanical dryer, followed by approximately 15 days in a parabolic drying system until target moisture is reached.