Tunki | Peru

This Peruvian Tunki is an award-winning coffee hailing from the Peruvian Andes and named after the locally found Tunki bird. The farms are situated in the Tambopata Valley, south-east of Peru, on the border of Bolivia at an average altitude of 1700m. The varietals are mainly Bourbon and Caturra although Catimor is also fairly common. This is globally one of the most difficult and logistically challenging of origins, with an intense four-day trek, climbing to almost 5000m to cross the mighty Andes just to get this coffee to port.

The farmers belong to the Aymara and Quechua indigenous peoples and are all co-operative members. On average each family manages a smallholding of around two hectares. The Smallholdings are generally two to six hours hike up into the cloud forest from the nearest road. Other crops are often shade grown alongside the coffees. This amazing coffee is grown and processed without the use of chemicals or pesticides. After harvest, it is washed, pulped and then patio dried for an average of two weeks. This Tunki scores a high 86 points in cupping. With flavour notes of creamy nutty flavours, a full velvet well-balanced chocolaty body and a clean mouth feel of lime crisp citric acidity.

The farmers of the region are rewarded for producing this high standard coffee. They are not only paid well above the world trade price but prices that are seasonally agreed, this gives the producers a guaranteed annual income regardless of world price fluctuations. A percentage of the sales of Tunki coffee support sustainable development programs such as solar power installations.