MAGNOLIA

Rosas Peña Ojeda runs the El Cacao farm with his wife Socorro and his 4 children. The 2 youngest are studying at primary and secondary school in La Zunga, and the 2 oldest are studying administration and agricultural engineering in San Ignacio. As the name suggests, the farm originally grew cocoa but is now home to potatoes, bitcua, banana, and, of course, coffee crops! This is our first harvest working with Rosas but it comes via our longtime Peru Partners' Red Fox Merchants. 

Rosas's mother and brothers live in La Zunga, too. At harvest time they practice an ancient Inca technique called "Ayni" which literally means "I will help you today and you will help me tomorrow.” Using this technique, Rosas and his family help harvest on his mother and brothers’ farms, then they all go to El Cacao to work with the Rosas. The family works with the Rio Blanco Cooperative, which collects coffee from seventeen producers along the banks of the Rio Blanco River. 

FLAVOUR:
I was originally looking for filter menu coffees when I cupped samples from Rosas Peña Ojeda and immediately knew: this is a Magnolia coffee! The cup opens on big flowery notes with honeysuckle meeting the aromatics of lilac and mayflower. There are big berry notes, with the nice spring bite of a wild strawberry giving way to more jammy fruit flavours, think rhubarb pie or crumble. On espresso, there is a robust honey note that powers the long and bright finish. Great with milk or on its own, this is truly a special representation of Cajamarca.