San Martin de Pangoa | Peru

Peru — San Martín de Pangoa Cooperative Bourbon & Typica (Washed)

Tastes Like — 🍒 Cherry • 🍐 Yellow Pear • 🍵 White Tea • 🍮 Caramel

DETAILS

• Producer: Smallholder Farmers — Santiago de Oropel Community
• Region: Pangoa, Satipo, Junín, Peru
• Varietal: Bourbon & Typica
• Process: Washed
• Altitude: 1,900 MASL
• Harvest: June

INTRO

From the community of Santiago de Oropel in the Pangoa district of Junín — a rare and privileged growing environment where the soaring peaks of the Andes meet the lush central jungle in a convergence of altitude and tropical microclimate that is genuinely unlike anywhere else in Peru. A washed blend of Bourbon and Typica that reflects both the biodiversity of this extraordinary landscape and the remarkable resilience of the producers who cultivate it. In the cup: cherry, yellow pear, white tea, and caramel.

THE PRODUCER

Santiago de Oropel occupies a uniquely privileged position in Junín — sitting between the highest peaks of the Andes and the central jungle, home to extraordinary biodiversity and Indigenous communities including the Asháninka. The convergence of jungle soils and Andean altitude creates conditions that are difficult to replicate anywhere else, and the coffees that emerge from this landscape reflect both its richness and its complexity.

Oropel's history has not been without hardship. In the early 1980s, the Shining Path guerrilla movement launched a prolonged conflict that forced many families to flee to larger cities for safety. By 1991, much of central and southern Peru's countryside had fallen under their control. Today, stability has returned — families have come back to rebuild their communities and their farms, reconnecting with their primary livelihood and producing coffees that bear witness to a place defined by contrast, endurance, and a deep commitment to the land.

Bourbon and Typica are two of the oldest and most culturally significant Arabica varieties in the world. Typica, often considered the modern progenitor of many other varieties, was the first to spread from East Africa to Brazil and onwards, and is cherished for both its historical significance and its elegant cup quality. Bourbon, originating on the island of Réunion, produces the classic juicy sweetness and refined structure that made it foundational to the global coffee trade.

THE PROCESS

The Washed process in Oropel involves:

🍒 Hand-picking — Cherries selectively harvested at peak ripeness 🔧 De-pulping — Outer skin removed before fermentation 🧪 Fermentation — Beans fermented in water to break down remaining mucilage 💧 Washing — Thoroughly washed to remove all fermentation residue ☀️ Raised-bed drying — Dried on raised beds to optimal moisture content

The meticulous washing and fermentation management is the defining step — by removing all fruit influence, the process allows the intrinsic character of the Bourbon and Typica varieties and the extraordinary terroir of Santiago de Oropel to express themselves with full clarity and precision in the cup.

THE CUP

A beautifully expressive and deeply characterful washed lot from one of Peru's most remarkable and resilient growing communities — cherry brightness, yellow pear sweetness, white tea delicacy, and a warm caramel finish that speaks of the biodiversity and endurance of Santiago de Oropel. A coffee with a story as compelling as what's in the cup.

Flavour Notes

🍒 Cherry 🍐 Yellow Pear 🍵 White Tea 🍮 Caramel