Peru, Modesto Chinguel - Filter

High in the mountains of Huabal, Piura, Modesto Chinguel cultivates three hectares of coffee at El Huaco, one of the highest farms in the region. A second-generation producer, Modesto works alongside his two sons, continuing a family tradition while embracing practices that prioritise quality and sustainability.

The farm is planted with Caturra and an exceptional Bourbon selection grown from cuttings sourced in Cajamarca. Remarkably, this Bourbon expresses a vibrant, elegant profile that often draws comparisons to Kenya's celebrated SL28, rather than the more traditional Peruvian Bourbon style.

Wide tree spacing, homemade compost and native shade trees create a healthy growing environment, allowing the family to produce around 100 bags annually with minimal reliance on chemical inputs.

To highlight the coffee's complexity, Modesto employs a carefully managed double fermentation process, well suited to the farm's cool mountain climate. Freshly harvested cherries are first floated and washed before undergoing an initial 24-hour whole-cherry fermentation. The resulting cherry juice is then fermented separately to create a sugarcane mosto, rich in naturally occurring yeasts and microorganisms. After pulping, the coffee undergoes a second 72-hour fermentation with the mosto. Finally, the parchment coffee is dried slowly for 15 to 20 days on a covered wooden patio until it reaches a stable moisture content.

• Region: Cajamarca
  
• Country: Peru
• Elevation: 2,000 masl
• Variety: Caturra
• Process: Washed