Peru — David Flores El Cacao Yellow Caturro (Washed)

Tastes Like — 🐉 Dragonfruit • 🌸 Purple Daisy • 🍓 White Strawberry

DETAILS

• Producer: David Flores
• Farm: El Cacao (El Morito Estate)
• Region: Cajamarca, Peru
• Varietal: Yellow Caturro
• Process: Washed
• Altitude: 1,850 MASL
• Size: 100g

INTRO

The second-year return of David Flores' Yellow Caturro from the El Cacao plot — and a striking departure from what this variety typically offers. Where last season's harvest delivered a classic high-grown profile, this 2025–2026 lot has shifted decisively toward an exotic, tropical character that defies the standard expectations of the Caturro. Crystalline clarity, vibrant botanical energy, and an unconventional complexity more often found in much rarer cultivars. In the cup: lush dragonfruit, elegant purple daisy florals, and a lingering white strawberry finish.

THE PRODUCER

El Morito is David Flores' estate in Cajamarca, a high-altitude growing region in northern Peru renowned for producing beans of exceptional density, clarity, and sweetness. The El Cacao plot is one of several named parcels on the farm, each expressing its own distinct character. Apollon's Gold's direct trade relationship with El Morito began in the 2024–2025 season, and this second-year selection of the Yellow Caturro — alongside the Geisha and Marshell lots from the same estate — completes a remarkable trio that collectively showcases the range and ambition of Flores' work at 1,850 MASL.

Yellow Caturro is a compact, productive variety well established across South American growing regions. At the extreme altitude of Cajamarca, the slow cherry development and cool temperatures unlock a level of complexity in this lot that far exceeds the variety's conventional ceiling.

THE PROCESS

The Washed process at El Cacao involves:

🍒 Hand-picking — Cherries selectively harvested at peak ripeness 💧 Flotation sorting — Low-density cherries removed before pulping 🔧 Depulping — Outer fruit skin removed from the bean 🧪 Fermentation — Beans fermented to break down remaining mucilage 💦 Washing — Thoroughly washed to remove all fermentation residue ☀️ Drying — Dried to optimal moisture content, preserving clarity and structure

The clean, controlled washed process is the defining step — by removing all fruit influence, the processing allows the extraordinary terroir of Cajamarca and the unique character of this particular Caturro to express themselves with full clarity and precision.

THE CUP

A true anomaly for the variety — vibrant, botanical, and tropically expressive in a way that places it in entirely unexpected company. Dragonfruit vibrancy, purple daisy florality, and white strawberry sweetness combine in a cup that takes a familiar variety somewhere altogether new. A perfect companion to the Geisha and Marshell from the same harvest.

Flavour Notes

🐉 Dragonfruit 🌸 Purple Daisy 🍓 White Strawberry