Espresso - Peru - Timbuyacu

Origin: Peru

Region: San Nicolas Rodríguez de Mendoza - Amazonas

Process: Washed

Varieties: Caturra, catuai & Pache

Producer: Alfonso Tejada Iberico & Karim Rosario Araoz Grandez

Altitude: 1620m 

Tasting notes: Grapes, praline, milk chocolate

Alfonso Tejada Iberico inherited Finca Timbuyacu from his mother, who had inherited it from her own mother, Eleodora Mori de Ibérico. Eleodora was an inspiration to Alfonso and his wife, Karim Rosario Araoz Grandez. The farm’s name comes from a story Eleodora told Alfonso about a spring on the property, so abundant that water gushed out as if boiling. The name Timbuyacu comes from the Quechua words “timbu,” meaning boiling, and “yacu,” meaning water.

To carry on his grandmother’s legacy, Alfonso and Karim launched their “Nueva Esperanza” project in 2010, when they sold their travel agency in Lima and returned to Finca Timbuyacu to create a model farm.

Under their leadership, Finca Timbuyacu has become the heart of Café Monteverde’s work. The couple was determined to improve social conditions for other small producers in the region and saw their organization as a way to help local producers market their coffee on better terms.

Finca Timbuyacu’s role as a model farm is perhaps the most important. Members can visit to learn about farm management, harvesting, and post-harvest practices such as fermentation, washing, and different drying methods. Finca Timbuyacu specializes in training its members in a variety of skills aimed at optimizing the quality of their production.

When they planted their first coffee trees at Timbuyacu, no one told them that nothing would grow. They had been warned that the land was infertile and their yield would always be low. Yet, thanks to their careful attention, their harvest and the quality of their coffee have continued to improve year after year. Timbuyacu coffee placed 12th in the 2017 Cup of Excellence.

Of Finca Timbuyacu’s 68 hectares, 38 are dedicated to forest reserves that protect native flora and fauna. The conservation areas also protect the farm’s lake and natural stream, forming a natural barrier that slows erosion and prevents pollution.

Alfonso’s grandmother, Eleodora, grew coffee, cassava, corn, bananas, sugarcane, pineapples, beans, and various other fruit trees on this land. She built piles of stones (pilancônes) to mark the boundaries of her crops. These pilancônes are still an integral part of the farm’s landscape today. Before she died, Eleodora divided the land among her children, including Alfonso’s mother. Today, Alfonso and Karim also grow cassava, bananas, beans, vegetables, oranges, and pineapples.

The coffee is selectively hand-picked and then pulped. 

After pulping, the coffee is fermented for 18 to 24 hours before being washed with clean water.

The parchment is dried on drying beds or patios, where it is turned regularly to promote even drying. It takes about 15 to 20 days for the parchment to dry.

The dried parchment is bagged and stored on wooden pallets in the farm’s warehouse for about 60 days before being transported to the drying warehouse.

Café Monteverde maintains close relationships with a wide range of producers and producer organizations. In addition to producing a range of microlots from Finca Timbuyacu, Alfonso and Karim focus on providing various services to member producers and helping them market their coffee.

Monteverde supports member farms in implementing measures to ensure good soil management and conservation. Members plant living hedges and various shade tree species, and create contour lines to limit erosion. Alfonso and Karim are also actively involved in their producers’ communities. In 2010, the organization collectively funded the purchase of a children’s playground in a producer community. Then, in 2014, it donated 40 new mattresses to children living in precarious sleeping conditions.

Since its founding, Café Monteverde has built relationships with a wide range of producers and producer organizations. In addition to producing its own microlots from Finca Timbuyacu, the cooperative also markets blended lots and offers various services to partner producers.

Monteverde supports member farms in implementing measures to ensure good soil management and conservation. Members plant living hedges and various shade tree species, and create contour lines to limit erosion. Araoz and Tejada are also actively involved in their producers’ communities. In 2010, the organization collectively funded the purchase of a children’s playground in one of these communities. Then, in 2014, it acquired 40 new mattresses for children with precarious sleeping conditions.