Peru Cup of Excellence
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Peru is an exceptional coffee producing country. Gaining prominence for its Washed Geshas, and its organic agricultural practices, it is definitely a country with some special coffee. My time in Peru included participating in the 2024 Cup of Excellence competition as a juror and venturing into the mountains of Cajamarca to visit some of the farms belonging to the Alpes Andinos cooperative. Read on to learn more about my time.
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Coffee first arrived in Peru during the 1700s, yet a small amount was not actually exported until the 1800s. Later in the century, during the Coffee Leaf Rust outbreak in Indonesia, Europeans decided Peru would be the ideal country to grow more coffee. Over time, the British acquired over 2 million hectares of land after Peru defaulted on a loan. Thus, the expansive array of coffee farms spread.
Over time, the farms were split up and sold to locals after the World Wars, giving indigenous peoples who worked on the farms an opportunity to own their own land. However, coffee farming was not structured enough which meant the roads were poor, and farmers were unaware how to process and sell their coffee.
After land was reacquired by the Peruvian government, and locals began their farms, coffee production soon took off. Cooperatives were created to assist farmers with processing and marketing but was not without struggle. It took time for coffee to stabilize after economic crises, warfare, and political turmoil. Peruvian coffee farmers also did not have access to pesticides, fertilizers, or other agrochemicals and therefore Peru became the largest exporter of organic Arabica.
Today, coffee grows primarily in various regions of Peru including the Amazonas, San Martín, Cajamarca, Cusco, and Chanchamayo along the eastern slopes of the Andes. Smallholder producers are gradually joining cooperatives in order to get their coffee sold into international markets.
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Flying from Lima, the capital or Peru, to Huánuco, was a quick and beautiful flight. Upon arrival, I was greeted by a portion of the Cup of Excellence jurors with a bus to take us to Tingo María, the city where the competition was being held. This was roughly a three-hour bumpy journey through the rugged mountains. Tingo María is a town in the department of Huánuco. This area was once known for its coca production. A dangerous trade that was not economically beneficial for this community. Only recently, did coffee plant its roots here, helping bring life to the community, creating futures for younger generations and providing safety for the families who live here.
Diving into the Peru Cup of Excellence is quite a monumental event for the world of coffee. Peru is comprised of 223,000 coffee growing families, each growing coffee on 2 hectares of land or less. Coffee is the main source of income for families in Peru, and farms take up roughly 425,000 hectares of land. They are the 9th leading producers of coffee in the world, 5% of which is considered specialty.
Cup of Excellence started in Peru in 2017 and has allowed producers to gain prominence and recognition throughout the world. A remarkable impact. Once we arrived in Tingo María, we had a wonderful welcome ceremony and met the other jury members. The following day we had a calibration cupping session to ensure all of our palates were aligned.
The Cup of Excellence is an extremely organized and well-run event. Months before the international jury arrives, samples are submitted by producers throughout the country. A National Jury is selected through rigorous tests and exams to assess the lots that were sent into the Cup of Excellence, which was 106 samples (77% washed; 16% natural), in order to select the top 40 scoring 86 or higher.
Once the top lots are chosen, the Head Judge and International Jury are selected, which included 21 people from various countries including Taiwan, Japan, South Korea, Thailand, Australia, United States, and Germany. Two roasters from local companies in Peru were asked to assist with roasting, Gracia Briceño and Luis Barrera. They then roast for nearly four days straight, carefully preparing the samples for the cuppers.
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When we, the International Jury members, arrive and begin cupping, it is thanks to a collection of people that the event runs smoothly. A technical team carefully sets up all of the coffees, the auditors record scores, and a team of energetic volunteers help set up, clean, pour water, and take care of the cupping room. Volunteering at the Cup of Excellence is a great way for younger generations to get involved with coffee. Most of the volunteers go on to get a job in coffee after working for this prestigious event.
We then cupped the 40 lots, and select the next top lots scoring 86 or higher, using Cropster, a coffee scoring mobile app. The next session involved selecting the lots going to the auction, scoring above 87. The final day included one final cupping of the top ten to decide on the winners. So much cupping, setting up, roasting, inputting scores. It requires careful organization, dedication, and precision. These coffees are the hard work of producers throughout the country, so it is essential to take care with each of the samples.
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The finale of the event is usually held within a local coffee show. For Peru, it was at the FICAFE show, an extensive array of booths featuring local goods from all over Peru including coffee, cacao, beer, fruit, plants, artisanal goods, snacks, and so much more. The winners were announced, and a celebration breaks out with so much pride for the region where the coffee came from. First place was from Cajamarca, a rich and juicy washed coffee with an array of floral, plum, grape, and tropical fruit tasting notes.
It was such an amazing experience, helping select the top lots from Peru and seeing the joy from the winners and the locals all over Peru.
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Afterwards, I ventured on a long car journey from Tingo María to Jaen, a city in the mountains of Cajamarca, northern Peru, to meet with Alpes Andinos. The organization was started back in 2019, and now has 86 members, 30 of which are women. Alpes Andinos not only assists producers with international market access and better prices for their coffee, but they also offer education on coffee quality and cupping. These classes are offered to the youths of the families involved, so the children are beginning to understand quality at a young age.
After a rest in Jaen, we took a motorbike higher into the hills to reach Las Naranjas, a town where many farmers live and grow coffee that belong to the organization. We started by meeting with Elmer Cruz Guerrero, the president of Alpes Andinos, who has been with the group for five years. He has been president for two years, maintaining communication with producers, and assisting with processing and moving coffee from the rugged slopes to the dry mill in Jaen.
He currently has four hectares of land filled with beautiful green coffee trees of the Caturra, Bourbon, Catimor, and Pache varietal. Elmer has been growing coffee on this land for eight years. Like many other producers in Peru, Elmer does not use any chemicals, and his farm is completely organic. He processes his own coffee with a hand pulper, and the coffee ferments in a cement pit after pulping. The coffee is then dried on tarps in the open sun.
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We then walked over to meet Tomas Bueno Medina, the treasurer of Alpes Andinos, who has also been with the group for five years. He has one hectare of land, growing Bourbon and Caturra. Tomas maintains a collection of bee hives for honey production, and he also has a small greenhouse where he grows a beautiful assortment of orchids. His pride and joy. Some with exquisite scents like vanilla. He also processes his own coffee with a hand pulper and ferments his coffee in a cement pit.
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Just down the way, we also wandered around the farm of Maria Flores Puelles, who has been growing coffee for ten years and has been a member of Alpes Andinos for five years. She grows Bourbon, Catimor, Caturra, Pache, and Gesha in addition to taking care of chickens for eggs and guinea pigs, a local delicacy.
All of these producers lived so close to one another, and worked so diligently on their farms, the trees so healthy and green with buds preparing to flower. A sign of a promising harvest.
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Just down the hill, Osmer Cruz Guerrero showed us around his farm, which is two hectares. He is growing Gesha, Bourbon, and Caturra. Osmer has been a member of Alpes Andinos for three years, and his brother is actually Elmer, the president. This farm was on quite a steep slope, and I was impressed he was able to manage the trees and harvest cherries without falling or sliding.
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Back down the mountain, we visited the house of Maria Nieves Tantalean Fernandez, where she guided us up another huge hill on foot to her farm. She manages one farm here and another in a different town, which is getting to be challenging for her and her husband as they are beginning to age. She has so much energy, though, powering up the mountain, cutting down plantains with her machete along the way. This farm is 3.5 hectares, with Gesha, Pache, and Catimor growing wonderfully. She has been with Alpes Andinos for five years. We also met her husband, and she sent me home with two bundles of plantains. The sun began to set, and we motored back to Jaen to end the day.
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The following morning, we drove since this farm is a bit further out, and soon we arrive to visit with Francisco Aurelio Rivera Alarcon, this year’s 24th place at the Cup of Excellence. He kindly welcomed us to his home, and we began to hike down then up to his farm with his son and dog. It was an exquisite day, and we were high up in the mountains, I could hear rushing water below. Soon we were on a steep slope, seeing his Gesha plot. Francisco also grows Caturra and Pache on his four hectares of land. He has been with Alpes Andinos for two years and has been growing coffee on his farm for five years.
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It was a joy to wander around this farm, to have lunch with Francisco and his family, and talk about coffee. Francisco showed us his processing area and his pristine greenhouse for drying coffee. We also met with the local school, where the head teacher talked to us about his students. It was a gorgeous day, warm, but just perfect. A great end to the tour in Cajamarca.
Coffee producers are small and humble in Peru. But they know how to grow excellent coffee, veering towards Gesha production and precise processing, they are truly producing some wonderful lots. It was a humbling experience to meet with these producers, and to be able to taste the best lots of Peru. Such a special origin, one that I see a bright future for.
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