575 Café
This lot is produced by our long term friend Herbert Peñaloza, one of the founding members of the LaREB collective. This is the second time we have purchased from his new project, El Bocadillo, having purchased several lots from Herbert’s 575 project at the lower altitude El Éden previously.
575 have a meticulous approach to coffee production, with a focus on maximising sweetness, cleanliness, mouthfeel, and aftertaste.
El Bocadillo
In 2017, after years of struggling with the less than ideal terroir and plant stock at El Éden, Herbert made the decision to purchase this plot, higher altitude, ideal sun exposure, healthy soils. Starting from scratch in rural Northern Tolima with a minimal budget was a daunting project, but one Herbert and the team from 575 took to with aplomb.
Members of the La Cabra team have seen Bocadillo at many stages of its development, even advising on the use of biochar during planting. It’s only now that the majority of the farm is producing, and 575’s years of work and experience can start to come into play.
A meticulous approach
This lot is a great example of how the talented team from 575 ‘design’ coffees, with a certain profile in mind. Based on the Cup of Excellence scoresheet, they use picking, sorting, fermentation and drying to maximise the cupping score of their lots. They were inspired in this approach through the mentorship of Erwin Mierisch, of the renowned Nicaraguan coffee growing family. Erwin inspired 575’s meticulous approach, tying each step in the process to the optimisation of an element in the cup.
They maximise sweetness and cleanliness through picking and sorting, and maximise mouthfeel and aftertaste through careful fermentation. For this lot, a blend of exotic varietals grown on some of the highest stretches of El Bocadillo, the fermentation protocol has been carefully honed over the first few experimental years of the project.
Ripe cherries are fermented for 48 hours in semi-sealed tanks, allowing a small amount of oxidation, adding to the acidity in the final cup. The cherries are then taken to mechanical driers, at a temperature high enough to stop fermentation almost entirely, before completing their drying slowly on raised beds over 30 days.
This leads to a cup with deep and sweet dark chocolate notes, alongside soft florals influenced by the Geisha and Sidra.
The process enhances the mouthfeel and maintains a clean aftertaste, without the ‘artificial’ and ‘overripe’ notes we often associate with heavily fermented coffees. A very impressive level of quality, from a project still in its infancy.
