Peru Altiplano Sillapata

Whole bean coffee

We roast to order on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays and ship the same day. Orders will be included in a roast if they’re received by 4pm Eastern Time the day before.

Origin: Peru

Region: Cusco

Province: La Convención

Municipality: Santa Teresa

Community: Sillapata

Producers: Multiple smallholding farmers

Elevation: 1700 - 2000 masl

Process: Washed, 14-hour fermentation in plastic barrels, dried for 15 days in solar dryers

Varieties: Caturra, Typica, Catimor

Tasting notes: Green apple, brown sugar, lime

Peru Altiplano is one of our signature single origin offerings, a label that we bring back each season to showcase the coffees that we feel best represent Peru’s “taste of place”. The Altiplano, or “high plain” in Spanish, is the Andean plateau, the roof of South America, and is a metaphor for the way we view the present and future of coffee in Peru.

This version of Altiplano was produced by several small farms in the Sillapata community located in the town of Santa Teresa, Cusco, Peru. Producers in Sillapata enjoy a unique logistical advantage in this generally remote area. The community is located very near to the central collection warehouse which can be reached in only 15 minutes, a rarity in a region defined by rugged terrain and long transit times. This location allows the small Quechua-speaking community to move their harvests with an unparalleled efficiency when compared to other smallholding producers in the region.

The local environment is lush with greenery and abundant water, creating an ideal micro-climate for the cultivation of top-quality Caturra, Typica, and Catimor varieties. Producers intercrop their coffee with native Pacay trees, which provide shade for slow cherry maturation while fixing nitrogen in the soil and ensuring optimal moisture retention.

Farms in Sillapata average only 2.5 hectares in area and coffee is processed on site in small batches, starting with a 14-hour fermentation in plastic barrels before being moved to covered solar dryers for approximately 15 days until the ideal moisture content is reached. We taste a balanced cup with notes of green apple, brown sugar, and lime.

Transparency

This is our ninth year buying from Peru through our partners at Red Fox Coffee Merchants. We scored this coffee 86.5 points and bought 3 69kg bags for $6.05/lb EXW.

Click here for more information on the coffee supply chain.

Photo credit: Red Fox Coffee Merchants