250g
Region: Puno
Flavour Notes: peach, cherry, fig
Variety: Bourbon, Typica
Altitude: 1800m
Puno is one of the most exclusive and renowned growing regions in all of Latin America, and despite the demand for its coffee, there just isn’t that much to go around. The coffees we have tasted this year from the region are not only some of the best we had all year not just in Peru, but in the whole world, and Juana's coffee stands above the rest. Puno coffees have a dedicated following and are typically spoken for before they hit the ports, so while we may not talk about them very often, they are certainly worth doing so.
Though the climate in Puno may be slightly wetter than similar coffee-producing regions in the country, the peak altitudes are similar. Puno is home to a wealth of high-altitude coffees. Caturra and Typica are the common varietals, though Bourbon plays an even stronger role in the genetic makeup of coffee here, thanks to a UN-funded replanting project in the 1980s.
The Fermentation Process: Washed
After being harvested at peak ripeness, the coffee cherries are pulped mechanically, removing the majority of the fruit. The coffee is then placed in open-air ceramic tanks filled with water and ferments for several hours in the open air, gaining access to wild, naturally-occuring yeast. During this process, the starches break down into sugars and bring the coffee flavour alive. The coffee is finally then dried for 15-21 days on raised beds.
