Bolivia San Juan Caranavi (Gold Series) Bag/340 g

Tasting Notes: Melon + Cocoa + Vanilla

Bolivia is South America’s only landlocked coffee producing country & exports the least total poundage. Nevertheless, Bolivia’s terrain is ideally suited for arabica coffee production, especially throughout the greater Yungas region. Here, the mountain ranges connect the low & humid Amazonian basin to the dry Andean high-plateau—or altiplano—above.

Cooperativa Agrícola Cafetalera San Juan was established in 1974 united for the purpose of supporting small family farms & organic, chemical-free methods. With 40 farmer members across Caranaví, the cooperative started out strong, & by the mid-2000s Bolivia was hosting annual Cup of Excellence competitions. However, productivity began to decline considerably among members because of aging trees & limited investment. In 2018, Felix Chambi Garcia joined the organization, bringing with him over 16 years of specialty experience as a cupper & membership from various other Bolivian cooperatives. The co-op’s total production, overall quality, & diversity of coffees have all increased significantly. Felix sees himself as part of a renewed generation of coffee lovers in Bolivia—including baristas and roasters—who are fortunate to be in a coffee producing country with such great potential.

The most productive coffee municipality in the Yungas region is Caranaví. Its landscape is steep, cloudy, rugged, & remote, with native forest making up more than 90% of the territory. Coffee farms in this high & tropical climate tend to be small but well-managed. Challenged by isolation and lacking in long-term industry support, Bolivian growers still do not often have processing equipment or transportation of their own—a great obstacle in such territory.

San Juan relies on individual farmers to process their own coffee, & harvesting follows specific procedures. Felix has recognized quality control as key to the co-op’s operations, & his lab in Alto Cochabamba serves as the station for export. The final challenge is transporting coffee over the top of the Andes & then west to the port of Arica on Chile’s coast. Bolivia’s limited coffee production coupled with formidable logistical challenges means each successful green coffee export is something to be cherished.

ROASTMASTER NOTES:

I was excited to roast this rare Bolivian green coffee-blend of Typica, Caturra, & Catuai genera. Roasting light reveals a blast of juicy, fresh-fruit with perfectly balanced acidity, leading into a rich, cocoa body & a brilliantly sweet & lingering vanilla finish. To realize best the nuances, brew with your favorite manual brew method—but this coffee will also perform nicely in your automatic brewer!

-Desmond Mulvey, Roastmaster

CALIBER COFFEE IS PROUDLY MADE IN REGINA, SASKATCHEWAN, CANADA