Sweet & Funky - Peru Elmer Tineo

100% Peru, Jaen, El Diamante

VARIETALS: Catuai

ALTITUDE: 1800m

SWEET & FUNKY

Fermented honey, cashews, plums, apples

Elmer Tineo Mendoza owns 3 hectares of coffee farm in the El Diamante area of Jaén. Elmer and his son, Elvis, manage their farms together and between them have around 10 hectares dedicated to coffee production, which is a mix of caturra, catuai, castillo and some small areas of geisha and maragogype, although these varieties are not yet producing much fruit. Elmer's family pick ripe cherries which they deliver to the family home, where they share a small pulper and fermentation tank. Elmer tends to preferment his coffee prior to depulping, usually only 12 hours or so, and then ferments for 24 to 36 hours in the concrete tank. After fermentation is complete, Elmer then places the parchment coffee on raised beds in a parabolic dryer where it dries for 10 to 14 days.

El Diamante is one of the closest coffee producing areas to the city of Jaen and therefore has a huge cooperative presence, at least in the lower elevations. We work with a couple of coffee producing families in El Diamante, who have farms from 1600 to 2000masl. The main varieties grown in the medium altitudes is catuai and castillo, and at higher altitudes it is all bourbon, caturra and typica. El Diamante is one of the few areas in Jaen to have protected forests, which are home to a variety of flora and fauna native to the region. Not only that, there are also many water sources that supply much of the water to the city. This thriving natural environment creates a beautiful setting to grow coffee, but also contributes to the richness and stability of the soils in the area. The cup profile of the coffees in this area is very distinct, with a heavily fruited cup and a pronounced acidity.