Finca La Colmena

Finca La Colmena is located near the village of Huamboya in the Lonya Grande district of Peru’s Amazonas region. Its owner, Jorge Díaz Campos, is a member of the Norcafé cooperative in Cajamarca and has long participated in its micro-lot program—that is, the part where the best batches are separated from standard commodity production. On three hectares at an elevation of 1,900 meters above sea level, Caturra and Bourbon grow beneath the canopy of the native forest, and pure spring water from the surrounding area is used for processing. The combination of shade, altitude, and cooler nights does exactly what it’s supposed to here: it slows the ripening of the cherries and adds both acidity and sugar. Processing follows a traditional washed method, but with one extra step.

Harvesting takes place in September and October; the picked cherries first ferment for 24 hours in bags and only then are they sent to the depulper. This is followed by a second fermentation in parchment, lasting 24 to 36 hours, and then drying on covered raised beds, which can take up to a month. The result is a clean, transparent cup with notes of ripe berries and stone fruits.