Peru — Juan Alarcon Sidra

Tastes Like — 🥭 Passion Fruit • 🌼 Chamomile • 🍏 Gala Apple

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DETAILS

• Producers: Juan Alarcon & José Alarcon (father and son)
• Farm: Finca La Palestina
• Region: Cajamarca, Peru
• Varietal: Sidra
• Process: Washed
• Altitude: 1900 masl
• Size: 125g

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INTRO — Sidra from Peru's High-Altitude North

This crisp, clean washed Sidra from Juan Alarcon marks a special moment—the first Peruvian coffee release that inaugurates what promises to be a future replete with Peruvian excellence. When Sidra is processed well at high altitude, as this lot has been, it delivers exactly what the variety is celebrated for: juicy tropical passion fruit, sweet sunny chamomile florals, and the bright, crisp zing of Gala apple.

Juan's Finca La Palestina sits at 1,900 metres above sea level in Peru's northern Cajamarca region. Despite its modest two-hectare size, the farm punches well above its weight—cultivating four distinct varieties (Marshell, Sidra, Geisha, and Inca Geisha) and producing coffee that demonstrates Peru's exceptional potential for specialty production.

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THE PRODUCER — Two Generations on Finca La Palestina

Juan Alarcon first purchased the plot that would become Finca La Palestina in 1978—nearly fifty years of stewardship building knowledge about this specific terroir and what grows best at 1,900 metres in Cajamarca. Now he manages the farm in collaboration with his son, José Alarcon, creating a two-generation operation that combines Juan's decades of experience with José's fresh perspectives and contemporary techniques.

The decision to cultivate four different varieties on just two hectares is bold. Most small farms focus on one or two varieties to simplify management and processing. However, growing Marshell, Sidra, Geisha, and Inca Geisha on such limited acreage demonstrates both expertise and ambition. Each variety has different cultivation requirements, harvest timing, and processing needs. Managing this diversity requires deep knowledge and meticulous attention—exactly what a father-son team with nearly fifty years of combined experience can provide.

Cajamarca in northern Peru offers ideal conditions for specialty coffee. The region's high altitudes, volcanic soil, and favourable climate create terroir comparable to the world's best coffee-growing regions. However, Peru's specialty coffee industry has historically been overshadowed by neighbours like Colombia and Ecuador. Producers like Juan and José are changing that narrative, proving that Peruvian coffee—when cultivated with care and processed with precision—deserves serious attention from the specialty community.

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THE PROCESS — Classic Washed Method Showcasing Sidra's Genetics

Whilst specific processing details aren't provided, the crisp, clean profile indicates a carefully executed traditional washed process. For a farm growing multiple varieties, processing must be precise to allow each variety's characteristics to express clearly:

• 🍒 Selective Harvesting — Only fully ripe Sidra cherries picked
• ⚙️ Same-Day Depulping — Quick processing to preserve freshness and bright aromatics
• 💧 Controlled Fermentation — Precise timing to develop complexity whilst maintaining Sidra's characteristic clarity
• 🌊 Thorough Washing — Complete mucilage removal for clean cup profile
• ☀️ Careful Drying — Extended drying at altitude preserving tropical fruit character

The washed process allows Sidra's genetic potential to shine. Unlike honey or natural processing that adds fruit character through the process itself, washed coffee expresses the variety and terroir directly. The passion fruit, chamomile, and apple notes in this lot come from the Sidra variety grown at 1,900 metres in Cajamarca, revealed through processing rather than created by it.

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THE VARIETY — Sidra's Mysterious Ethiopian Heritage

Sidra remains a variety shrouded in mystery, with two competing origin theories. The first suggests it originated from a Nestlé research facility in Ecuador's Pichincha region, created by crossbreeding Typica with Bourbon. The second—and more likely—theory proposes that Sidra is a naturally occurring mutation of an Ethiopian landrace variety.

Genetic testing supports the Ethiopian hypothesis. When analysed in laboratories, Sidra shows demonstrable similarities to native Ethiopian varieties. More tellingly, the cup profile aligns perfectly with Ethiopian genetics: pronounced sweetness, delicate florality, and distinctive stone fruit qualities. This makes Sidra another example of an Ethiopian landrace variety that made its way to South America—joining Chiroso, Geisha, Mejorada, Papayo, Pink Bourbon, Aji, and Wush Wush.

Sidra has only been commercially farmed since 2012, when La Palma y El Tucán planted 1,800 Sidra trees on their farm in Cundinamarca, Colombia. Despite being primarily grown in Colombia and Ecuador, Juan and José's work proves that Peru offers equally exceptional conditions for cultivating this relatively new variety. At 1,900 metres in Cajamarca, Sidra develops the complexity and brightness that's made it increasingly sought after in specialty coffee circles.

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THE CUP — Tropical Fruit with Sunny Florals and Crisp Apple

This is Sidra expressing its Ethiopian heritage beautifully—tropical fruit intensity, delicate florals, and bright acidity all characteristic of landrace genetics. The cup is crisp and clean, with layers of flavour that evolve beautifully as it cools. There's an immediacy to the passion fruit that grabs attention, followed by gentle chamomile sweetness, finishing with Gala apple brightness.

Flavour Notes

• 🥭 Passion Fruit — juicy tropical fruit providing immediate impact and aromatic intensity
• 🌼 Chamomile — sweet, yellow, sunny floral notes adding warmth and complexity
• 🍏 Gala Apple — bright, crisp finish with the particular sweetness of Gala apples

The passion fruit hits immediately—juicy, tropical, aromatic in that distinctive way passion fruit offers. It's not subtle; it demands attention with its intensity and complexity. Chamomile florals follow, sweet and sunny rather than perfumed or heady. There's a warmth to these floral notes that complements the tropical fruit beautifully. The Gala apple character provides structure—crisp acidity with the specific sweetness of Gala apples, not just generic apple but that particular variety's refined, approachable character.

The body is clean and medium, allowing the bright fruit and floral notes to express clearly without heaviness. The acidity is vibrant and well-structured—more crisp and refreshing than sharp or aggressive. The finish is long and satisfying, with those tropical fruit notes lingering alongside gentle floral sweetness.

This lot from Juan and José Alarcon proves why Peru deserves attention from the specialty coffee community. Nearly fifty years of family stewardship, high-altitude terroir, exotic variety cultivation, and precise processing have combined to produce coffee that's genuinely exceptional. This Sidra doesn't just inaugurate Peruvian coffee releases—it sets a high standard for what's to come.

What is the roast recency?

Mirra doesn't advertise a roast preference to Filter or Espresso. That being said, Mirra typically roast nordic-style light, meaning Mirra is best for bright and acidic filter with floral aroma and modern espresso.

We recommend brewing with beans that are at least two weeks off roast. All beans are roasted to peak flavour at around 8-12 weeks. We have the option to either purchase standard beans (at least 2 weeks but no longer than 6 weeks off roast), or rested beans (at least 7 weeks off roast, no longer than 12). For peak flavour, if you are looking to use immediately, we recommend purchasing the rested beans. If you are adding to your rotation of beans, we recommend purchasing the standard and allowing the beans to naturally rest and mature whilst you rotate through other beans.