David Guevara Cotrina farms his Finca Flor de la Montaña in Peru's Cajamarca region across 4.5 hectares, with 2.5 of those under shade cover – a practice that's becoming the norm here rather than the exception. He's an active board member of Lima Coffees, a young and growing cooperative whose lots have been developed alongside importer Cafe Imports since 2017. Like many of his fellow members, David holds organic certification and works with sustainable farming practices.
Harvest runs from May through October. Cherries are depulped on the day they're picked, then fermented in open air for 12 to 18 hours – sometimes longer at this elevation. After washing, the coffee is dried on patios, raised beds, or in parabolic dryers depending on conditions. It's a textbook Peruvian Washed process, and it shows in the cup: clean, well-defined, nothing hidden.
Cajamarca accounts for around a quarter of Peru's national coffee production and sits in the semi-dry, fertile Andean highlands – conditions that have long had potential for high-quality lots. What's changed is the infrastructure around them. Cooperatives like Lima Coffees have made it possible to trace individual farms, negotiate better prices, and bring microlots to roasters willing to pay for them. This is one of those lots.