Elider Cruz, Finca El Chamanal

Did we say already that Peru is turning into one of our favourite origins ?? Well, this stunner from Elider Cruz simply reinforces that statement. Based in the Sallique municipality of the famous Cajamarca growing region Finca El Chamanal sits above a lofty 2300m where Elider grows this Pacamara alongside Caturra.

The history of coffee on this farm only goes back as far as 2008 when local municipality of Sallique promoted the establishment of coffee seedlings as part of a community bio-garden initiative. Through this program, families were provided with young coffee plants to cultivate on their own land.

This initiative marked the beginning of Elider’s journey into coffee production. Motivated by the opportunity and eager to learn, he began planting coffee on his farm. Over the years, he has steadily improved his knowledge and production practices, refining both his agronomic management and processing techniques to enhance quality.

Harvesting is carried out by selectively picking mostly ripe cherries, carefully avoiding excessive green or overripe fruit. Maintaining high cherry quality at harvest is considered essential for producing a clean and expressive cup profile. On the same day as picking, the cherries are depulped. The deplulped coffee is then placed into sealed bags to undergo anaerobic fermentation for approximately 48 hours.

This controlled fermentation environment enhances flavour development while maintaining structure and cleanliness in the cup. After fermentation, the coffee is thoroughly washed to remove the mucilage. It is then transferred to a solar dryer (greenhouse-style drying tent), where it is spread evenly to ensure gradual and controlled drying.

Following the 48-hour anaerobic washed process, the coffee is moved to a solar tent dryer. Inside the structure, the parchment is evenly distributed to allow for progressive, controlled drying. The system makes use of ambient heat and airflow, protecting the coffee from rain while enabling steady moisture reduction. Drying continues until the coffee reaches optimal moisture content of 11%, ensuring quality preservation and stability.