Nomad
December 6, 2019Next week we will be featuring Nomad. We have will be offering four of their coffees.
Mexico, Santo Domingo:
Origin: Oaxaca – México
Variety: bourbon, pluma hidalgo
Altitude: 1480 masl
Process: washed
Harvest: April 2019
Santo Domingo de Cacalotepec is a small indigenous town located in Ixtlán de Juarez at an altitude of 1480 meters, its humid forests make Santo Domingo one of the areas of Oaxaca with more potential for the production of speciality coffees.
Due to its remoteness and lack of infrastructure Santo Domingo is a municipality where small producers make a gigantic effort to make their coffee production.
It could be considered an example of communities in which not only economic resources are lacking, but also to those that need the transmission of knowledge in matters of processes and drying.
Flavours: Figs, Sugar Cane, Plum
Guatemala, El Rincón:
Origin: Huehuetenango – Guatemala
Variety: caturra, bourbon
Altitude: 1500-1700 masl
Process: washed
Harvest: April 2019
El Rincon is a 25 hectare farm situated in the corner of a valley of limestone hills, protected from warm, dry winds and climate fluctuations. The climate is very stable with high relative humidity, which, along with the chalky soils of Huehuetenango define the cup character of this farm. Roberto Molina was the cousin of Jorge Vides the first owner of Finca La Bolsa, and they bought and established the farms around the same time. Roberto passed away in 2009 and his widow Yolanda Galindo is now taking care of the farm. The farm is now run by Renardo Ovalle, who has transformed the production towards quality focussed microlots. Many of the plants are old bourbon and caturra trees from the early years of the farm, but the farm manager is in the process of planting new bourbon and caturra plants, along with other exotic varietals. Coffee is fermented dry in tiled tanks for 18-24 hours, before being washed and graded in channels. After the mucilage has been washed off, the coffee is soaked overnight in clean water. This step is more common in African processing, and is rare in Guatemala, but adds to the unique cup profile of this farm.
Notes: Green Apple, Plum, Lime
Rwanda, Simbi:
Origin: Huye – Ruanda
Variety: bourbon
Altitude: 1700-1800 masl
Process: washed
Harvest: July 2018
The Simbi coffee washing station is located in the district of Huye, in the southern province of Rwanda, and serves 1,850 small coffee farmers. Simbi is a privately owned washing station operated by Abdul Rudahunga, who was inspired to enter the coffee business by his grandmother. She was also a coffee producer and one of the few rural Rwandans who toasted and enjoyed their own coffee as part of their daily routine. The Simbi coffee washing station was built between 2011 and 2012. The 2018 COE, Simbi Coffee, ranked 17th with 87.62 in 28 winning lots of 150 selected lots nationwide. The cherries are selected by hand, washed, sorted well after the fermentation stage, sun-dried in African beds and selected by hand to ensure that only the best coffee beans are processed. The washing station was strengthened in 2013 with the construction of a 300-tonne-per-season cherry processing plant and a pulper machine of 2.8 tons per hour. After the newly harvested cherry is pulped, the coffee is fermented in tanks with water and then the grains are classified by density using classification channels filled with water. The wet parchment is dried under cover for 24 hours before being transferred to the raised beds for an average of 15 days. During that period, the coffee is cleaned by hand from defective grains by an army of absolutely meticulous women.
Notes: Tangerine, Apricot, Orange Blossom, Honey
Mexico, San Francisco:
Origin: Oaxaca – México
Variety: bourbon, pluma hidalgo
Altitude: 1750-1900 masl
Process: washed
Harvest: April 2019
The Ozolotepeques – especially San Francisco and some surrounding villages – can be considered among the areas with the most potential for the production of speciality coffees in Oaxaca, probably being the area with the most potential in the Sierra Sur.
San Francisco Ozolotepec is near Cerro Nube, the highest mountain in Oaxaca. The height (1900 masl in Oaxaca can be considered similar to 2500 masl in Colombia or Ecuador), the proximity of the hill and virgin forest contribute to a unique microclimate. The same factors are the reason why there is not much rust defect in the area (it can’t stand the cold) so the traditional varieties such as Bourbon and Pluma Hidalgo (a typica variety mutation from Oaxaca) can grow without much trouble. San Francisco coffees are dense, juicy, with a tartaric acidity, with grape, red fruits, raisins notes and tropical touches.
Producers have always received very low prices for their coffee. Working with coffee in the area is not easy due to the lack of infrastructure (it is 7 hours from Oaxaca) with access by roads in poor conditions. Many producers do not speak Spanish (Zapoteca culture is very much preserved). The area is somewhat conflictive. As in many other remote farms and high coffee areas in Latin America due to low coffee prices, there is a lot of poppy and marijuana production.
Thanks to the high quality of these coffees we have been able to offer them a good alternative to the local market, with higher base prices and premiums for quality.
Flavours: Orange, White tea, Nectarine
Websites:
- nomadcoffee.es
- @nomadcoffee
