An intense and fruity Pacamara with notes of tart red berries, stone fruit, and dark chocolate.

With its bright red fruit character, layered stone fruit notes, and structured acidity, this coffee is a strong example of how complex a washed Pacamara can be. It’s no surprise that Los Pirineos has earned so many accolades for their work with this variety.

Pacamara is often associated with herbal or even onion-like flavours—I’ve tasted them myself. This lot, however, shows none of those characteristics. One possible reason for the variability is that Pacamara was released before it was fully stabilised as a cultivar, which has led to inconsistent flavour profiles across different farms.

In my experience, the Pacamara from Los Pirineos consistently stands out. It rarely exhibits the less desirable traits common to the variety. I believe this is because the farm played a key role in the early development of Pacamara, selecting a strong line for cultivation. Today, Diego continues that legacy by producing certified Pacamara seed, which he also shares with other producers.

Picking and Sorting
All cherries are selectively picked by hand. Unripe and damaged cherries are carefully removed by hand before processing to ensure only the ripest fruit is used.

De-pulping, Fermentation & Washing
The cherries are de-pulped on the day of harvest and then dry-fermented overnight. The following morning, the mucilage is washed off the parchment coffee before it is moved to the drying beds.

Drying
The coffees Tim Wendelboe purchases from Los Pirineos are all dried slowly on raised beds, most of which are covered with shade nets. During drying, the parchment is raked regularly throughout the day to ensure uniform drying. At night, beds are covered to prevent condensation and protect the coffee from reabsorbing moisture. Once fully dried, the coffee is stored in airtight GrainPro bags before being milled and sorted on the farm. All coffees are vacuum-packed on-site before being shipped to Norway.

What does 'Filter' or 'Espresso' Roast mean?

Typically filter is roasted lighter than espresso, though this is not always the case. Several factors play into what brands a Manhattan coffee as 'filter' or 'espresso', which includes the roast profile - i.e. how the beans are roasted, not just how developed a roast it is. It doesn't preclude you from using the beans for espresso though!