Peru is Back! Huabal and Cleber Córdoba is Why.
For years, Peru sat in the shadow of its more celebrated South American neighbours. Colombia and Brazil dominated the conversation, while Peru quietly built something worth paying attention to.
Coffee arrived in Peru as far back as 1760, eventually finding its footing in the inter-Andean valleys and high jungle, where altitude, heat and humidity created near-perfect growing conditions. Today, almost 70% of the country's coffee production comes from the north, and within that, one district has emerged as its most exciting address: Huabal.
Huabal spans a couple of mountains in the Jaén province of Cajamarca, which means climate and soil conditions shift considerably across it. The micro regions are characterised by wild variations in climate and environments. Those variations are a big part of why the cups it produces can be so complex. Cajamarca is often seen as Peru's most prolific region for specialty coffee, with producers typically farming just a few acres of land intercropped with shade trees, fruits and vegetables. It is smallholder farming at its most considered, and the results speak for themselves.
Cleber Córdoba's washed lot lands right in the sweet spot of what Huabal does best. Grown between 1800 and 1950 metres on Yellow and Red Caturra and Bourbon varietals, it is a coffee that leads with restraint, clean in the cup but with real range. Brew it light and bright, taste the acidity carry through. Slow it down, grind it fine, see it settle into something more dense and satisfying. Taste notes we are finding when brewed include; white chocolate, caster sugar and poached plum.
After a quieter spell for Peru on our shelves, this is the one that brought us back, and we suspect it will do the same for you.