Producers: Illimani Community

Origin: Caranavi, Bolivia

Process-type: Washed

Varietals: Catuaí & Typica

Cup: Barley Tea, Honey, Chestnut, Canary Melon, Kiwi, Lemon

This coffee comes from the Illimani community in Bolivia's eastern province of Caranavi. The area is on the Bolivian Altiplano, the most extensive high plateau on earth outside of Tibet and a landscape dominated by active volcanoes, not far from Lake Titicaca.

The Illimani community is comprised of about 65 families. Farm sizes vary, but on average farms are about 2-3 hectares with producers also growing fruits like pineapple and citrus as well as coca. Most of the coffee is shade grown and farms are planted in Catuaí and Typica varietals.

During harvest season, collection sites in Illimani open at 5pm and close around midnight when the coffee is taken to a centralized washing station, depulped, and processing begins around 2-3am. This coffee was fermented in steel tanks for about 12-14 hours before being washed and then dried on raised beds for 15-20 days.

The cup is very nice and, we think, very cool to have a coffee from Bolivia, an origin we don't see a lot of coffee from. The hot cup reminds us of barley tea, but as the cup cools it becomes more honeyed and fruited impressions like honeydew and even kiwi appear along with a lemon-like top note. A nice accompanying chestnut-like note can be found throughout.

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