Peru — Fredesvinda Estela El Cacao Yellow Caturra (Washed)

Tastes Like — 🍑 Stone Fruits • 🍐 Jammy Pear • 🍋 Candied Lemon

DETAILS

• Producer: Fredesvinda Estela
• Farm: El Cacao
• Region: North Cajamarca, Peru
• Varietal: Yellow Caturra
• Process: Washed
• Altitude: 1,850 MASL
• Harvest: Late 2025
• Roast: Light
• Size: 250g

INTRO

A first-time feature from Fredesvinda Estela at El Cacao — a member of the El Morito family farm cooperative in North Cajamarca, and a producer whose confidence and consistency have grown considerably through thoughtful plot renovation and infrastructure investment. A silky, sweet, and gently layered washed Yellow Caturra. In the cup: stone fruits, jammy pear, and candied lemon.

THE PRODUCER

Fredesvinda farms El Cacao at 1,850 MASL in North Cajamarca, working together with her husband to support their family through coffee. She began her producing career with some uncertainty, but through careful plot renovation, infrastructure upgrades, and her partnership with the El Morito cooperative, she now produces and processes her coffees entirely on-farm with impressive consistency before consolidating for export through the group.

El Morito — the same cooperative featured in September Coffee's Lemon Meringue lot from Felipe Estela — is a family farm cooperative formalised in 2022, designed to support producers like Fredesvinda through shared infrastructure, group consolidation, and access to international markets. The model suits her ambitions directly: she is currently planning to expand into new varietals, building on the strong foundation this Yellow Caturra lot represents.

Yellow Caturra is a natural colour mutation of the Bourbon-derived Caturra variety, selected for its slightly higher yield and clean cup quality. At 1,850 MASL in North Cajamarca, it delivers the malic sweetness, balanced acidity, and silky structure that define this lot.

THE PROCESS

The Washed process at El Cacao involves:

🍒 Hand-picking — Yellow Caturra cherries selectively harvested at peak ripeness 🔍 Sorting — Cherries sorted after picking before processing 🔧 De-pulping — Outer skin removed accordingly 💧 Thorough rinsing — Beans rinsed thoroughly to remove all residual mucilage before drying ☀️ Drying — Dried for approximately 18 days to optimal moisture content

The thorough rinsing before drying is the defining step — by cleaning the beans fully before drying begins, Fredesvinda ensures a clean fermentation slate that allows the Yellow Caturra's inherent stone fruit sweetness and delicate malic acidity to express themselves with the transparency and silky structure that define this cup.

THE CUP

A silky, sweet, and gently layered washed Yellow Caturra from one of North Cajamarca's most quietly impressive emerging producers — stone fruit and apricot sweetness, a balanced jammy pear acidity, and a candied lemon brightness in a light, silky cup with a sweet, clean finish. A first feature well worth celebrating.

Flavour Notes

🍑 Stone Fruits 🍐 Jammy Pear 🍋 Candied Lemon