The search for coffee is a never ending, ongoing process. We’re regularly evaluating samples to either find a replacement, make sure the sample we received matches the coffee that has arrived to our roastery, or get an idea of what’s out in the world and perhaps keep some of those coffees in mind for the future.
Back in December, we were deep into our process of searching for a coffee that matches the flavor profile for one of our blend components. Under normal circumstances, booking components for the upcoming year is relatively straight forward. When we find something that meets our quality and volume requirements, we tend to buy the same coffee the following year. But a coffee shortage and an increase in prices has made it challenging to source the same beans for our blends, and so we go through a lengthy process to make sure we find the right replacement. (As a side note, it’s important to mention that although it feels like current prices are high, coffee pricing in the last decade was abnormally low, and over the course of history, the price of coffee has continued to go down. This article by Olam Coffee does a great job at summarizing coffee history and pricing over the years.)
In times like this, our importing partners play a significant role in helping us navigate the coffee market by sharing what’s currently happening, what we should anticipate, and what options we should consider. Conversations often follow with being sent a selection of coffee samples for us to evaluate. Brian, our partner at Falcon Coffee, sent us a good handful–and out of the bunch was this coffee produced by Roger Chilcon Flores in the El Diamante village located in the San Jose De Lourdes District of Cajamarca.
A view from Roger Chilcon’s farm. Photo provided by Falcon Coffee
Roger grows coffee alongside other family members who are also coffee growers, and they manage their farms together. However, Roger is the person who manages the picking and processing. Cherries picked for this lot are pre-fermented overnight in bags before being depulped and fermented for 24-36 hours depending on weather conditions. The coffees are then washed and dried inside a ventilated greenhouse on a plastic lined, wooden patio. The high altitude in which this coffee is grown in combination with cherry maceration and extended fermentation impart a very pronounced fruited note in this coffee.
During the first evaluation session, it was immediately clear that Roger’s coffee was something special. When it went through the grinder, my eyes widened upon perceiving intense aromas of sweet dried fruits! Tasting it soon after only confirmed my thoughts: this coffee is way too distinct to be in a blend and we have to get this. I had Michael and Corey give it a try without giving them much context and they both looked at me with astonishment. Whoa what is this? It’s like strawberry jam! And it’s so clean and juicy like apple cider but sticky and almost like cereal–like a fig bar! We’re getting this, right?
We reached out to Brian and told him that we wanted this coffee from Roger to feature as a single origin, in addition to another coffee that we would contract as a blend component. Roger’s coffee was just too good, and Brian agreed. One of the blend samples he wanted to send us sold out, and so he wanted to give us something fun and that he had a bit more of in stock.
Situations like this always serve as a reminder to me that it’s important to keep an open mind to possibilities while working towards any goal. You never know what pleasant surprises may come your way to help keep you enthusiastic and entertained while you’re slogging through.
