In the early days of Cape Coffee Beans, Peruvian specialty coffees were relatively unheard of in South Africa. It's not that they didn't exist at all, but they just didn't tend to feature on most of the prominent specialty coffee roasters' lists. It's worth remarking on how much this has changed. We're now enjoying high-quality Peruvian specialty coffees regularly, and we think this is a welcome development.

Is it still appropriate to call Peru "up and coming" as an origin? Perhaps it is; perhaps it is not. Peruvian coffees may not quite yet have the cachet of top-quality Colombian or Brazilian specialty lots, but they've become an important part of the specialty coffee scene, at least here in South Africa.

Rosetta Roastery has played an important role in this. They've shared many delicious, balanced, and easy-to-drink Peruvian lots with us over the years, at least a couple of which were from Cajamarca, like this lot. This is, however, the first lot we've tried from the Estela de Chontali community. In fact, most of the Peruvian lots that we have been drinking have been single-estate coffees, so this coffee offers something different to try.

Community-grown coffees represent the backbone of the coffee industry in many parts of the world and are important in South America, just as much as in other parts of the world. We welcome the opportunity to try the fruits of these farmers' labours.

Phaedon's tasting notes

This coffee is a classic coffee lover's dream. There's nothing new-fangled or out-there in the flavour profile. It's sweet. It's full-bodied. It's subtly nutty and chocolatey with a candy-like quality.  It's kind of creamy, and it's just plain delicious. Even better, I found this coffee hit the classic coffee spot in just about any brew method, from the AeroPress to the moka pot, from V60 pour-overs to the MoccaMaster.

Rosetta's notes

Style: Classic
Flavour profile: Clean and full, candied malt and hints of date

Whether you're a coffee connoisseur or an adventurous newcomer, this Peruvian, washed community lot is a unique and delectable choice.

It's especially significant to take bean density and size into account when roasting mixed variety lots to ensure that each bean is roasted evenly, coaxing out their full range of flavours. Being one of our more 'classic' roast profiles, we carefully extend the development of this coffee. The result? Notes of chocolate and candied malt are complemented by prominent pear and date sweetness.

It's certainly worth highlighting the impeccable cleanliness of this lot, surpassing our expectations for an exceptional cup of Peruvian coffee.

Coffee details

Estela de Chontali is a community coffee lot produced by a small group of farmers in the Chunchuco Valley of Peru. The town’s name takes its inspiration from a mysterious 1.8m tall calcareous stone that was found on Mount Corcovado in 1984. The stone has inscriptions from the ancient Chavin people, one of the oldest civilizations of the continent. Due to erosion, the complete meaning of the scene depicted regrettably cannot be deciphered. With recognisable snake and feline forms, many like to think that the scene is a foretelling of the ancient people's appreciation for the potential of the land for coffee cultivation.

The community of Chunchuco has a strong culture of cooperation and sharing of resources. This close-knit community of small-scale farmers is an integral part of the unique character of the coffee coming out of the region.

• Producer: Smallholder farmers of the Estela de Chontali community
• Region: Chontali, Jaen, Cajamarca
• Country: Peru
• Variety: Red Caturra, Yellow, Caturra, Pache, Catimor & Typica
• Altitude: 1700m - 2000m
• Processing: Washed
• Harvest: 2022