A Bolivian coffee gem—that’s exactly what Space Gem from the Brno-based roastery Fiftybeans is like. This juicy coffee from a less traditional coffee-producing country offers notes of sour cherries, citrus, and flowers, so expect a fresh, clean, and elegant profile in your cup with a pleasantly fruity character. Fiftybeans describes it as their little gem straight from the Bolivian mountains, and thanks to its character, you can enjoy it both as a pour-over and as an espresso.
Space Gem comes from Nancy Quispe and Marian Sóliz of the Taipiplaya community in the Caranavi region. They grow the coffee on their family farms at an elevation of 1, 900 meters, and this lot consists of the IPR-13 variety. The local ASOCAFE cooperative handles the post-harvest processing. Nancy and Marian have achieved excellent results with the quality of their coffees. Most coffees from the Fiftybeans roastery score above 85 SCA points, which is a remarkable achievement in a country as unconventional for coffee production as Bolivia.
After the harvest, the washed processing begins. Farmers hand-pick only perfectly ripe cherries and transport them to one of the four central processing facilities (beneficios) operated by the ASOCAFE cooperative. The cherries are first carefully sorted and pulped, leaving a portion of the sweet pulp on the bean. This pulp gradually breaks down during fermentation, and the beans are then thoroughly washed with clean water. Finally, the coffee is sorted again and dried to the optimal moisture content. The washed processing method thus helps bring out the clean, juicy, and elegant character of this coffee. The flavor profile remains clear and distinct.
- Farmers Nancy Quispe and Marian Sóliz
- Taipiplaya Farm
- Elevation: 1,900 m above sea level