This is one of the most interesting coffees produced of the Rodriguez family, a mix of Pacamara from all three farms - Alasitas, La Linda and Samaichacha.
About the coffee
Flavour description: The coffee has a real tropical fruit feeling to it, with flavour notes of pineapple and grape, and with a lasting floral finish to it.
Category: Adventurous
Producer: Daniela, Pedro-Pablo and Pedro Rodriguez
Location: Bolivia
Varietal: Pacamara
Lot: Alasitas, La Linda and Samaichacha
Harvest: August 2021
Processing: Washed
Price transparency: The FOB price for this coffee was US$6 per pound
Roast: Light to medium to present the natural characteristics of the coffee.
This is a very important relationship for us at Drop and one we are very proud to have. We have been to their farms on many many occasions during harvest, and stay at the mill, they have also made their way up to Stockholm to visit the team at Drop. We, as friends have been growing together for a few years now.
If it weren’t for the Rodriguez, Bolivian coffee would look a lot different today. They work under the name Agricafé as exporters, and we are buying all of our Bolivian coffees through them. They also have a sustainability project ‘Sol de Manana’, where they are working with other producers, providing them with fertilisers and plants, and advising, with their agronomical expertise. They also process the coffees from all of the producers we are buying from at their washing stations and dry mill. On top of all of this, they have farms of their own, including Alasitas, La Linda and Samaichacha.
This coffee comes from all of them. How so? Well the Rodriguez have been planting in all the farms, lots of different varietals. In some it is established in others the smallest of crops often use a few kilos.
So they cup each farms to to ensure the quality and make sure that it reaches their high standards, the carefully put them together to make a lot thats not only commercially viable, but super interesting in the cup.
Pacamara varietal
To showcase how good Bolivian coffee can taste, the Rodriguez family has planted different varietals such as this Pacamara. Pacamara is a cross between pacas (a varietal found in El Salvador originally that mutated from Bourbon) and Maragoype, a giant bean developed in Brazil. This was developed and selected by the Salvadoran Institute of Coffee Research (ISIC). Originally only really seen in any great numbers in El Salvador, its unique and interesting cup profile have seen it spread across the coffee world. It's a tricky varietal to present as mistakes in the picking and primarily the processing stage can highlight very unfavourable traits in the cup. But when its right it can be quite special, just like this lot.
Sustainability
In the last four years, the Rodriguez family has been building a sustainability project with the producers delivering to their mills, called ‘Sol de Mañana. It is built on three mantras: economical sustainability, social understanding and environmental awareness. We are buying coffee from other producers in Bolivia, such as Carmelita, Colque and Tadassio Mamani who are receiving extra support from the Rodriguez family. They help other producers produce higher quality and larger quantities in a sustainable way.
Bolivia is a complex, diverse and somewhat isolated country and getting great coffee out of the country is not super easy. But it is so worth it! Read more about Bolivia as a coffee-producing country here.
