Single Origin: peru Decaf
Lima Coffee
Rony Lavan is an ambitious and quality-driven cupper who has spent his career trying to carve out better and bolder coffees from small producers in Peru. While the country is emerging as a specialty market after many years of focusing on bigger lots and certifications, Rony's passion is with identifying and developing the top scores and the best cups. Green-coffee buyer Piero Cristiani met Rony before Piero was buying coffee for Cafe Imports, and the two have not only stayed professionally connected all these years, but they have also become great friends.
Cooperative: Lima Coffee
Region: Cajamarca
Altitude: 1650-1800 MASL
Variety: Catimor, Caturra, Bourbon, Typica
Process: Washed; Swiss Water Process
Notes: Fig roll, cocoa nib, caramel
As president of the Lima Coffees exporting organization, Rony has already established himself as standing at the fore of microlot-quality coffees in Cajamarca. His first year with Lima Coffees, he entered the national competition and won; with the introduction of the Cup of Excellence competition to Peru in 2017, the country is poised to enter the international spotlight for its finest offerings. Rony and his coffees will be the ones to watch.
Most coffee in Peru is processed using the Washed method, with many producers owning their own wet-milling equipment. Smallholders may also take their coffee cherries to a central processing unit or cooperative. Typically, the cherries are depulped on the same day they are harvested and undergo a 12–18-hour open-air fermentation before being washed to remove mucilage. In cooler areas at higher elevations, the fermentation time may be longer. Drying methods in Peru vary and include patios, raised beds, parabolic dryers, and mechanical drying.
Photo & Content Credit: Cafe Imports