One of our roasters went to a tasting of very special Peruvian coffees and found a wonderful Inca Geisha among many other gems from the exporter APU. One thing led to another and weeks later we were blown away by the quality of the Peruvian coffees from the Incahuasi Valley, at about 3100 MASL. From NOMAD we are very proud to present this lot of Albino Ibias knowing that its bright acidity with floral and tropical notes of mango and passion fruit, its elegant and mellow body, and its extremely fruity character with notes of Calanda peach will not leave anyone indifferent.
Albino Ibias and his family reside in the small village of Acconcharcas, a sector deep within the Incahuasi Valley. He is an agroforestry professional in the traditional Inca ways and his exceptional processing and preparation is guided by his son Saulo, Q-Grader taster and quality control manager of the cooperative.
Historically, there was hardly any infrastructure in the Acconcharcas sector, which made the production of quality coffee very difficult. Transporting the coffee to the nearest paved town took 3 days on horseback and was not profitable, so cochineal dye production was encouraged instead of coffee. However, in recent years, with more quality management, feedback and higher prices, Albino has increased his coffee production, expanding his farm into the shady high altitude forests.
Geisha Inka are historic Geisha, or Ethiopian heirloom, varieties that have been growing in the district for decades. They were largely neglected due to their low yields, but now, with experienced quality management, Albino is planting more of these wonderful varieties at even higher altitudes, producing excellent results and benefits that return to the community.
Agroforestry methods are shared among each producer in the Incahuasi Cooperative. The cooperative provides agronomists in the field to consult with farmers, as well as knowledge and support in the use of organic compost and fertilization. This is carried out twice a year for both flowering and ripening of the cherry coffee.
Weeding and pruning is carried out after the rainy season, from May to August. Due to the distinctive dry season during harvest, from September to December, irrigation is implemented from the numerous springs and water sources supplied by the distinctive mountainous terrain.
Many farmers separate their coffee plantations from their other agricultural production by planting only shade trees between the coffee plants. Mostly indigenous species such as cedar, tarco, oak and yanay are planted for shade trees. This helps maintain the ecosystem and insect populations.
The harvest in the Incahuasi Valley is the latest in Peru due to its extremely high altitude and distinctly isolated climate in southwestern Cusco. Beginning in September, harvest peaks in October, with the highest altitudes still harvesting in November and the last pickings in December.
Process
While the distinctive dry season allows for some natural coffee to be produced, most of the Incahuasi cooperative's coffee is Washed coffee entirely. However, due to the very stable dry conditions and high altitude, the honey-type dry fermentation method is used.
Fully ripe cherries are harvested and then placed in water to float and pulped to remove green or insect-damaged cherries. Once sorted in this manner, the cherries are pulped into clean fermentation tanks where they are left to ferment without water in their own mucilage. The cool climate keeps this process stable with short fermentation times of 24 to 36 hours. Dry fermentation also reduces the impact of wastewater on the surrounding environment.
After the fermentation process, the coffee is thoroughly washed and placed on raised drying beds. The coffee parchment is turned evenly 5 to 6 times a day in the cool climate at an altitude of approximately 1900-2100 meters above sea level. Drying at this altitude takes 10 to 12 days to reach a stable moisture level of 10-11.5 percent.
After drying, the coffee is transported to the Incahuasi Cooperative headquarters in Andahuaylas, where it is tested and graded for quality. This storage is located above 2800 meters, which is cool and very stable in terms of humidity.
Soon we will have the recipe for this coffee.
If you have any questions you can contact us at
[email protected].
