Ermitaño Huillca Quispe owns a 1.5 hectare (3.7 acre) farm located in the Mendosayoc community, part of the Yanatile valley north of Cusco city. Most of Ermitaño’s coffee is of the Typica variety, which, even in Peru (Peru and Ecuador being the two main Typica producing countries in the Americas), is rare to find as a dominant variety. Ermitaño manages all aspects of his coffee processing with depulping, fermenting, and drying on shaded raised beds on his own property. In addition to coffee, his farm grows citrus fruits, cherimoya and passionfruit. He joined a new association called Café Orígenes which was was founded two years ago with a focus on quality control, marketing, exporting, investing, and educating coffee farmers in the Yanatile/Cusco producing zones. Ermitaño joined this association to gain access to markets that were previously difficult to enter due to geographic and social challenges.

The resulting harvest is a beautiful representation of a somewhat unfamiliar terroir that is Yanatile Valley specialty coffee. Ermitaño’s microlot is an expressive, nuanced and layered with sweetness. All signs pointing to his incredible detailed harvesting and processing practices.

You can expect a vibrant and juicy coffee with an effervescent citrusy acidity that is balanced out by layer upon layer of sweetness . I get distinct notes of Mandarin, Peach Tea (read as Peach Snapple) and a lasting note of Honey in the finish. Don’t miss out on this super unique microlot!