039: Peru Cleyder Sarmiento. Washed.

Peru Cleyder Sarmiento

Washed

Caturra & Castillo

Origin: Peru

Region: San Miguel, Chirinos, San Ignacio, Cajarmarca

Producer/Farm: Cleyder Sarmiento / El Guayaquil Farm

Altitude: 1700 masl

Varietal: Caturra & Castillo

Process: Washed

Harvest: 2022/2023

Importer: Falcon Specialtyy

Cupping Score: 86.00

FOB/Volume: £7.26 per Kg / 69 Kilos

Roasted for Espresso

We taste: Strawberry Milk, Pear, Raisin and Chocolate

The Story:

This coffee comes from the El Guayaquil farm located in the Chirinos district of Cajamarca. The producer, Cleyder, has been working with coffee for more than 20 years and the farm is run by him and his family with the additional help of 6 employees during the harvest months of June through October. The small farm is just 3 hectares of coffee growing area, situated at almost 1800 masl.

Coffee is grown under shade trees ( around 60 per hectare) between guabas pajuros and timber trees and fertilized using island guano and compost. Once harvested the coffee is washed and left to rest for 16 hours before being sun dried. Initially it is dried in reduced sunlight and moved constantly to ensure even drying. The drying period can last between 25 and 30 days. Once dried the coffee is stored in plastic and rested. Once ready the coffee is taken to Falcon’s warehouse in Jaen where it is assessed for quality. At this stage a price is agreed for the coffee depending on its perceived cup score. Prices are set according to lot quality and Falcon aims to pay 30% above the local price as this quality bonus will have a huge impact on the farmer’s livelihood, and that of their family.

Finally, the coffee is transported to a plant called Café Selva Norte SAC and checked for any defects before being bagged and moved to the coast for shipping. Chirinos is a district in the province of San Ignacio and is one of the most well-known areas for quality coffee in Peru. Chirinos is well connected to nearby cities, with new roads and a thriving town, which serves as a hub for coffee buying and trade.

Whilst the coffee landscape in Chirinos is still dominated by middlemen and FTO certifications, there is a growing interest in specialty coffee and some of the biggest cooperatives in the area have been promoting quality for a number of years. However, for those producers that aren’t members of coops, of which there are many, there is still little access to market and little support to invest in their farms and improve quality.

There are a number of villages across Chirinos which have ideal growing conditions for coffee, with altitudes above 1700masl, and many producers still have old pure Arabica varieties. We see huge potential for quality improvement in Chirinos, with small changes and investments producers can escape low market prices which rarely cover the cost of production and find a market for their coffee that pays well above the market with quality incentives.