If you usually brew more conservative coffees in your lever-style espresso machine and are tempted to try something a bit fresher, this Peruvian coffee from Not Another Boring Roastery is the ideal first step. The foundation of the drink is held together by the familiar and pleasant sweetness of cane sugar, along with notes of black tea. A light fruitiness of green apple then naturally emerges within this distinct profile. As a result, the coffee is neither bland nor overly bold, and it goes down easily.
In northern Peru lies the mountainous region of Cajamarca, and within it, the Jaén area, which gave this coffee its name. Local farmers tend to their coffee trees here at altitudes ranging from 1,600 to 2,000 meters. In these high-altitude conditions, they grow the traditional Bourbon variety alongside the Pache variety, which is known for its delicate and balanced flavor. The cooler mountain climate slows the ripening of the cherries, giving the fruit ample time to absorb nutrients from the soil and develop a high sugar content in the beans. In a professional quality assessment, this lot scored 83.5 points, confirming its purity and consistent flavor profile.
To ensure that the freshness of green apple and the purity of black tea clearly shine through in an espresso, the harvest underwent the classic washed processing method. After hand-picking, the farmers remove the outer skin from the ripe cherries using a hulling machine. The beans are then transferred to fermentation tanks, where the remnants of the sticky pulp are released during fermentation. This is followed by a thorough rinse with clean mountain water and slow drying until the coffee reaches the ideal moisture content. The roastery then roasted these clean beans for espresso to soften the acidity and bring out the pleasant sweetness of cane sugar.
- Altitude: 1,600–2,000 m above sea level