WITH THESE TWO DIFFERENT COFFEES FROM PERU and BRAZIL
ORGANIC PERU CUNAVIR FAIR TRADE — VIENNA ROAST —
This coffee is called Organic Peru Cunavir, named after the cooperative Cunavir, located in the town of Villa Rica, in a region called Pasco located in Central Peru. Certifications include Fair Trade, Organic, and Café Practices, currently in the process of getting RFA Certified.
At an altitude of between 1400 and 1800 miles above sea level, the most prominent varieties grown are Catimor, Caturra, Typica and Bourbon. Most are processed with the washed method, after being harvested between March and September annually.
Cunavir is made up of 230 producers who own on average 3.5 hectares (8.65 acres) of land. They’ve been producing coffee since 1960, with most of the current producers being third generation coffee growers. Some producers come from native communities including the Yanesha ethnic group. Many are from the Andes in Peru, who originally migrated to the coffee lands in order to make money as coffee pickers, eventually staying so that they could own their own farm land and become producers. As a result, Villa Rica and the surrounding districts are very culturally diverse.
WHAT MAKES COFFEE “ORGANIC”?
Producers cannot use synthetic substances, including most pesticides, herbicides and fertilizers. For coffee to bo be labeled organic, at least 95% of the beans must be grown under these organic conditions.
BRAZILIAN OBERON — AMERICAN ROAST —
Oberon coffee could be described as the Queen of Brazilian coffees. Only the best and finest coffees from Brazil’s Cerrado region find their way into Oberon. Arabica varieties found there include Mundo Novo, Catuaí and Bourbon.
The Cerrado region is located in the southwestern part of the Minas Gerais state. It is a region famous for its homogeneous climate, altitude and product quality characteristics. The average temperature lies around 20°C (68°F). With most of the rain falling during the rainy season from December to March, annual rainfall is about 1,600mm (63 inches). Its production area of about 140,000 hectares (345,948 acres) is between 900 and 1,250 meters (3,000 to 4,100 feet) above sea level.
In this area, there are about 3,600 coffee producers, the majority of them organized in large cooperatives. Because Cerrado is located in a dry, flat region, coffee producers can worry less about the elements and focus more of their time and energy on producing great coffee.
The Oberon is the perfect blend of the three main characteristics found in coffee — acidity, body and sweetness. This makes for a well-balanced coffee that has pleasant citric acidity, a smooth and full body, nice sweetness, plus a dark chocolate flavor.
All year long, a work force of about 20,000 men and women are employed at Oberon. This work force is necessary to take care of the plantations during the growth and ripening time. During the harvest season (May through September), this number increased to up to 180,000 workers — all working to bring in the coffee as fast as possible in order to guarantee the high quality that this region is so well known for.
This particular selection from Oberon is milled using a natural process, which aids in producing aromas that are neutral and slightly sweet. There’s a hint of fruit in the aftertaste, and we think you’ll enjoy the cleanliness of each soft cup, and its full, sound body. If you are a fan of light acidity in your coffee, you’ll find this one to be a favorite.
The cherries are picked at the best stage of their maturation, which allows each individual bean to absorb as much natural sweetness as possible.
