LA MANDARINA / PERU
La Mandarina / Peru
Flavor Profile :
Apricot, Apple, Orange candy, Soft mouthfeel.
Origin: Peru
Producer: Tiofilo Perales Cotrina
Region: Jaen > Huabal > San Francisco
Farm: La Mandarina
Variety: mixed variety
Process: Washed
Altitude: 1750 masl
Harvest: 2023
Certification : EU Organic
This coffee has a tightly concentrated fruitiness reminiscent of apricots and apples, along with a candied orange-like aroma and sweetness. It is characterized by a smooth, soft mouthfeel.
Peru is known as the third largest coffee producing country in South America after Brazil and Colombia. It was once regarded as a source of low-quality certified and Fair Trade coffees, but its traditionally organic farming practices on fertile soils have recently brought attention to Peru as a producer of high-quality organic coffees.
Although a vast Arabica coffee producing country, the environment surrounding the farms is not necessarily well-developed, with infrastructure still lacking. Many farms are small and scattered in remote areas away from cities, with around 30% of Peruvian farmers joining cooperatives to gain market access.
Smallholder farmers produce various lots. Some high-quality coffees cannot be exported as separate lots due to low yield volumes. To prevent these from being blended into low-grade regional blends or commodity coffees, small high-scoring lots are sometimes blended together. These "Communal Blends" or "Communal Producer Blends" allow access to markets and premiums based on quality.
A "premium" is an incentive system that pays above market prices for high-quality coffees. Producing high quality allows farmers to access premiums and earn higher trade prices. This enables transparent and sustainable coffee farming practices. This virtuous cycle leads to improved livelihoods for producers and higher quality in the coffees we source.
With favorable climate conditions, fertile soils, mountainous terrain, and high elevations, the La Mandarina farm provides an ideal environment for Tiofilo Perales Cotrina to cultivate his cherries. This 4-hectare coffee farm is located at 1,750 meters above sea level in the Huabal area of the San Francisco district, Jaen province. In 2017, Tiofilo and his family joined the Cedros producers association. He puts special care and attention into his coffee, making extraordinary efforts that result in outstanding quality.
The Cedros producers association that Tiofilo belongs to was established on May 10, 2013 in the Cajamarca region of northern Peru. Comprised of around 300 members, the association aims to promote its members' voice and participation in markets. It facilitates access to public and private funding sources, actively develops niche markets, and contributes to domestic and international coffee social movements.
