Cherry Berry

Producer: dagoberto marin
Region: el palomar, villa rica
Country: peru
Elevation: 1720 masl
Process: asd - anaerobic natural
Coffee Variety: red obata

Tastes like:  blackberry, cherry, milk chocolate

From the legends at La Chacra Don Dago in Peru - a farm we know and love for its pioneering approach and consistently stunning coffees. This is our second year buying this lot, and as one of their more experimental processing methods, it really showcases the innovation and depth of knowledge the Marin family brings to specialty coffee.

The brainchild of visionary third-generation farmer Don Dagoberto Marin, La Chacra and its 50 hectares of coffee forest is run and managed by his three sons Hector, Cesar, and Edu. Their vision is to be at the forefront of specialty coffee - both in quality and in pushing sustainability from the source. It's the only Demeter-certified biodynamic farm in Peru, meaning for the past twenty years they've been going far beyond organic principles, managing the farm regeneratively as a near-self-sustaining system.

From preserving native forest and biodiversity to experimenting with all kinds of fermentations, the Marin family blends sustainability with creativity. Every coffee from Don Dago is not just delicious - it's a statement of what the future of coffee can look like.

This lot undergoes a whopping 120-hour anaerobic fermentation in specialised glass 'infinity' tanks, after which the whole cherries are dried meticulously for 25 days on raised beds, then rested for a further 30 days before hulling and export prep. All of that care and time adds up to a wickedly complex cup — delicately sweet, with intense notes of berries and exotic fruit, and a delicious crispness and clarity. Definitely one from  the funkier end of the spectrum.