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La Perla Honey Bourbon

$14.00

Ernesto and Givette took over their family farm in 2018 and entered it into the specialty market. Their sister farm, Fatima, became a cup of excellence winner in 2019 too. Their bourbon has also placed really highly in past auctions. One aspect we love about this farm is that they're very focused on regenerative farm practice and, specifically, finding ways to maintain soil health naturally without the use of chemical fertilizer. As a Veracruz coffee, it gets processed at the APG wet mill, which we have mixed feelings about. As a whole, we're very excited to feature more Mexican coffee on the menu. These two offers express great origin characteristics along with higher cup quality. The more fresh these coffees are, the more we think people will understand just how great Mexican coffee can be -- even at this much lower altitude.

This coffee presents very sweet and round. Most of the flavors feel reduced and sugary. At start, we experience a softer malic sweetness, like cooked apples you might find in a pie. The cup transitions to a creamy nuttiness that reminds us of peanut butter. Classic to the region, there is a tame citric acidity like orange marmalade. This is crushable cup and personally, I prefer this to their gesha.

This coffee launched on October 13th as part of Drop 12!

Varietal: Bourbon

Process: Honey process

Region: Veracruz, Mexico

Altitude: 1250 masl

Funk: 1/5

Sourced by Falcon, split with Love Letters.

Ernesto and Givette were born into a coffee family. Previously, their family has owned Fatima since the 70s. They took over the property in 2018 and quickly took their coffee to the specialty market. Their land spans 20 hectares and they pride themselves in being regenerative and chemical free. Alongside Gesha and Bourbon, they also grow Tipica and Garnica.

La Perla is an expansion of their Fatima farm and was unplanted land until 2021. In one of its first real harvests, it won Mexico COE, which is a testament to the Perez's site selection and farm management. La Perla sits in a cloud forest at 1200-1700 masl in the Veracruz highlands. Like this lot, most coffees in Veracruz are processed at APG wet mill.

Bourbon is a staple to Mexico's coffee reputation. It has even placed exceptionally high in past COE auctions. Mexico Bourbon actually has a higher yield potential than even Typica plant -- about 20–30% higher. However, it is much more susceptible to disease. Veracruz Bourbon is known for its caramel sweetness, balanced citric acidity, and buttery mouthfeel, with additional notes like toffee, apple acidity, and gentle florals.

Cherries are picked at peak ripeness, depulped and then, sorted by density. They are immersed in water and then spread on raised beds (no fermentation), which the Perez family believes helps achieving their sweet and creamy full-bodied profile.

Ali at Love Letters actually got us excited about these two lots. He had been actively looking for high scoring Mexico coffees to hit his menu. We'd previously been really excited about sourcing Mexico coffee but were looking further south at Oaxaca coffee -- most coffee farming occurs in southern Mexico. Fatima stood out to us immediately on the cupping table. These two coffees cupped super well on arrival. The quality on the milling we've heard mixed things about so, honestly, these two coffees are note what they were. They still taste great, but I think. what we learned about specifically Veracruz sourcing is that, there is great coffee in this region, but you need to move it fast. From the arrival sample that Ali shared with us, it's very obvious how this farm has won COE. The gesha specifically was so green tea forward and floral that it could have stood it's grown against most higher cup quality Ethiopian landraces.

Green cost: $17.82/kg (+$1.76/kg freight)
Package and roasting costs: $2.91/bag; $10/kg
Profile and sample use: ~0kg
Approx. Margin: 35-40% (still have not recalculated operating costs on larger roaster... smh)

Resting: We recommend waiting 30 days before cracking the bag, but expect the cup to have peak "lack of roast environment character" in the 40-45 days range on pourover. Degas the night before by opening bag and then sealing. We're impatient and think this has tasted "peak flavor" (but still gassy) as early as two weeks after roast too. This is all to say: choose your own battle. Crack the bag early, try brewing and if the gas is a distraction for you, know that it will rest out in 1.5 months. Most importantly, have fun. :)

We've primarily enjoyed this offering as a pourover. We brew for QC:

Temperature range: 198-201°F (More clean coffee gets hotter water)
Water: Tap/Demineralized and Third Wave Water Light Roast
Grind Settings: Typically Medium Coarse (650-750µm)
Target Drawdown Time: 2:45-3:00
Less rest = less pours for us; we typically add a pour every two weeks

Freshly roasted 1 Pour Recipe:
Pour 1/4 water bloom and swirl dripper softly to incorporate bed fully. Wait 1 minute. Pour 3/4 water in spiral motion with 5-7g/s flow rate. With 1/4 water left, slow down flow rate to 3-4g/s. Expect drawdown to be in the 2 - 2:30 minute range for 12 to 15 gram brews.

Rested 4 Pour Recipe:
1. Pour 1/4 water every 30 seconds with medium-high agitiation (5-8g/s). Swirl the dripper on the bloom. Adjust agitation and grind size to hit expected drawdown time of 2:20-2:45 seconds on 12 to 15 gram brews.

Drops are typically prepared in two formats: a standard 100g / 200g bag offering at your preferred roast level or as a roast experiment.

Standard bag lets you support the producer, exporter, and the project without having to buy and drink coffee you're less interested in. You still get to observe and critique our roast methods at your preferred lightness but in larger quantities.
Roast experiment lets you participate in 3 blind tastings of 60g bags to evaluate 3 different roast curves. After the drops have been released, profile info and our own sensory feedback will be shared alongside any collected feedback from tasters.

Note that roast level selection does not apply to experiments sent out.

This is a side project that isn't in a place to pay our bills at the moment. We're actively trying our best in the two days we work on Base Coat a week to fulfill as quickly as possible. Volume has gone significantly up recently -- a great problem to have -- and we're doing our best to adapt. We roast every two weeks and try to get orders out within a week of your order placement. At latest, it takes us two weeks and if that is the case, expect an extra item in your bag as an apology.

Our times vary on roaster rental availability and our limited roasting schedule. We typically roast on two subsequent days twice a month. Once your order has shipped, you will receive an email with further information. Delivery times vary on location.

Because we are selling an agricultural product with limited shelf life, we do not accept returns. However, our goal is for every customer to be absolutely satisfied with their purchase. If you aren't enjoying the experience, let us know in an Instagram DM and we'll do our best to work with you to make it right!

La Perla Honey Bourbon

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