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 year, at least a couple of which were from San Ignacio, like this lot. This is, however, the first lot we've tried from the Estrella Divina Collective.

Phaedon's tasting notes

Those have been reading my flavour notes on Rosetta's Peruvian coffees over the years (are you out there?) may be getting a little bored with what I have to say. I admit, my experience of these Peruvian specialty lots may be similar but I'd like to pitch it to you as deliciously consistent rather than boringly repetitive. At the very least, my writing about these coffees might be boring but the coffees themselves are anything but. At the end of the day, Rosetta Roastery just gets Peruvian coffee right, year after year.

With that preamble, and at the risk of repeating myself yet again, Estrella Divina is another example of a deliciously classic coffee in the cup. It's nutty; it's sweet; it's full-bodied; it has a little something about its sweetness that might remind you of honey or brown sugar. It's just plain yum. I'd say you'll enjoy it most in your immersion brewer, espresso machine or moka pot, but it isn't going to let you down in any brew method.

Rosetta Roastery's notes

Style: Classic
Flavour profile: Sweet & juicy, guava, brown sugar

"From the mountain village of Rumpite in northern Peru comes Estrella Divina—Spanish for “divine star”—and this coffee truly earns its name. Thanks to altitudes soaring up to 2,100m, this collective lot is dense and delicious. We start with a slow, steady heat-up to ensure even development, then wrap things up quickly after first crack to hold on to the bright sweet apple and citrus highlights."

Coffee details from Rosetta

"In the misty highlands of La Coipa, where cold mountain air rolls down into sun-warmed valleys, coffee thrives. This lot is the product of small-scale producers refining their post-harvest methods—tracking sunlight hours, fine-tuning fermentation, and selecting to grow high-scoring varieties like Bourbon and Catuai to cultivate. Estrella Divina reflects the collaborative spirit and potential of northern Peru’s coffee-growing communities."

• Altitude: 1,600 - 2,100 masl
• Processing: Washed
• Varieties: Bourbon, Caturra, Pache, Catimor, Typica
• Region: Rumpite village, La Coipa, San Ignacio, Peru
• Country: Peru
• Producers: Smallholder farmers of the Estrella Divina Collective
• Harvest: 2023