Some decaffeination methods can affect flavour, body and aroma, that’s why we use the Swiss Water® Process for the specialty coffees in our range. This gentle process is 100% free of chemical solvents and preserves the unique characteristics of each of these single origins.

This lot is a blend of day lots from producers around the San Ignacio districts, which in this case are Chirinos, San Jose de Lourdes and Tabaconas. Producers in these areas pick and process their coffee themselves and usually dry the coffee on a lined patio. Coffee is generally fermented there for 24 – 36 hours and the main varieties grow are caturra, castillo and typica.

The three districts that are represented in this blend are three of the most promising qualities areas in all of Latin America – with high altitudes and ideal growing conditions.

We believe that Peru has the potential to match up on quality to any of its origin counterparts in Latin America. We set out to prove this. The altitude of the Andes combined with rich volcanic soils and tropical rainfall means that Peru has the ideal topography and climate for producing high quality Arabica coffee.

In 2018 Falcon Peru SARL was registered as an export company and opened a small warehouse with QC lab in the northern coffee town of Jaen, Cajamarca. Farmers bring their dry parchment to the warehouse for quality analysis, some tasting their own coffees for the first time. They receive a cup score and an offer price immediately, which they can accept or refuse. In 2019 and 2020, on average Falcon paid double the commercial rate for parchment in Jaen.

In 2018 Falcon Coffees Peru was established with an initial intake of partnerships with 35 farmers. These farmers were selected based on their potential and willingness to produce outstanding qualities, and most were based in an area called Huabal.

As of 2022 Falcon Coffees Peru is:

· 275 producers across 15 districts in Cajamarca.

· 3 producer associations.

· 10 full time employees, 50% female.

THE SPARKLING WATER DECAFFEINATION PROCESS

This process was first discovered by a scientist called Kurt Zosel at the Max Planck Institute for Coal Research in 1967 as he was looking at new ways of separating mixtures of substances. In 1988, a German decaffeination company called CR3 developed this process for decaffeination whereby natural carbon dioxide (which comes from prehistoric underground lakes) is combined with water to create ‘sub-critical’ conditions which creates a highly solvent substance for caffeine in coffee. It is a gentle, natural and organically certified process and the good caffeine selectivity of the carbon dioxide guarantees a high retention level of other coffee components which contribute to taste and aroma.

The process is outlined below:

The green beans enter a ‘pre-treatment’ vessel where they are cleaned and moistened with water before being brought into contact with pressurised liquid carbon dioxide. When the green coffee beans absorb the water, they expand and the pores are opened resulting in the caffeine molecules becoming mobile.

After the water has been added, the beans are then brought into contact with the pressurised liquid carbon dioxide which combines with the water to essentially form sparkling water. The carbon dioxide circulates through the beans and acts like a magnet, drawing out the mobile caffeine molecules.

The sparkling water then enters an evaporator which precipitates the caffeine-rich carbon dioxide out of the water. The now caffeine-free water is pumped back into the vessel for a new cycle.

This cycle is repeated until the required residual caffeine level is reached. Once this has happened, the circulation of carbon dioxide is stopped and the green beans are discharged into a drier.

The decaffeinated coffee is then gently dried until it reaches its original moisture content, after which it is ready for roasting.

There are several benefits to using this process for decaffeination:

The agent used for extracting the caffeine is entirely natural and the process can be classified as ‘organic’ due to the complete lack of chemicals used throughout. There is also no health risk by consuming coffee that has been decaffeinated in this way.

The way the process works means the other compounds in the green bean are left untouched, meaning decaffeination has no effect on the flavour and aroma of the finished product. The carbon dioxide is very selective and doesn’t extract the carbohydrates and proteins in the green bean which contribute to flavour and smell.

The cell structure of the green bean and the finished roasted bean is unchanged which is of great advantage when working with speciality coffees.

The by-products are 100% natural and recyclable.

As an espresso blend, this is a mixture of a number of beans from different origins. For more information about the farmers, check the Torino, Hygge, and Chiaroscuro roasts for more information.

Located in the heart of the Cerrado, near the city of Patos de Minas, Fazenda Pântano stands tall at an altitude of 1,150 meters. This vast farm encompasses 550 hectares of land, out of which over 300 hectares are dedicated to preserving natural forest reserves. Remarkably, this is six times more than the legal mandate according to Brazilian laws.

Fazenda Pântano is not just known for its expansive land but also its dedication to coffee production. The farm boasts over 200 varietals of coffee, with many of these varietals still in the experimental phase. In a bid to revolutionize coffee processing and flavor, the farm collaborates closely with the Brazilian Coffee Research Institute.

The harvesting process at Fazenda Pântano is meticulous. Large red cherries are handpicked and then go through a post-harvest process where the cherry’s skin and much of its mucilage are removed. These beans, now sticky and raw, are laid out on African-style raised beds. Here, they are turned over frequently, ensuring they dry evenly over a span of 10 to 14 days. This method not only reduces water consumption but also imparts a distinct acidity to the coffee, balanced with the renowned smooth body typical of Brazilian brews. For eight consecutive years, the consistency in the quality of coffee sourced from Fazenda Pântano has been unwavering.

But what truly sets Fazenda Pântano apart is its commitment to sustainability and precision agriculture. The farm utilizes GPS technology to ensure soil health, accurately delivering nutrients where they are most needed. Furthermore, it employs environmentally-friendly methods such as using honey-based insecticides to ward off pests. When it’s time to nourish the plants, sprays with an ionic charge are used, ensuring they cling to the coffee leaves and minimize wastage.

Beyond agriculture, Fazenda Pântano is deeply rooted in its community. It backs a local school, offering numerous training programs and courses for its staff, ensuring their well-being with comprehensive health care provisions. Furthermore, the farm proudly holds a certification from the Rainforest Alliance, a testament to its dedication to meeting high social, economic, and environmental standards.

Owned by the Ferrero Family and known for its Yellow Bourbon variety, Fazenda Pântano is a shining example of how modern farming techniques can coexist with traditional values and community welfare. It stands as a beacon in the world of coffee, showcasing the balance between nature, nurture, and innovation.

Mustefa Abakeno is a smallholder with 18 hectares of land near Agaro in the Jimma Zone of Western Ethiopia. His farm is located at 2040masl and is planted with coffee varieties from the Jimma research centre. Mustefa has a small disc pulper that he uses to wash-process half of his coffee; the other half is dried as a natural. Due to a lack of water in the area and limited space to ferment the coffee, Mustefa ferments the pulped coffee for a short period (8 hours) before he moves it to his drying beds (for 13-16 days), and the result is something like a light honey. The naturals take 24-27 days to dry on the African (raised) beds.

Mustefa only registered as an exporter in 2018 in order to sell his coffee directly to buyers, which he was able to do after changes to the regulations that year. The small wet mill he set up (called Beshasha) is used to process his own and outgrowers’ coffee, which he keeps separate and dries on raised beds near his house. Mustefa’s outgrowers are all neighbours and each have between 4 and 10 hectares of land.

With the support of the Falcon team in Addis Ababa, we are able to work directly with small producers such as Mustefa. We see a huge opportunity to improve quality through direct relationships, as we are able to work with the producers on cherry selection, drying and farm management. We are also able to make the supply chain more efficient and so maximise the money going back to the producers.

In 2021, Falcon Addis added an agronomist to their team, Harun. Harun’s primary focus during this last harvest has been to train and support Mustefa and the local farmers that bring their cherries to the washing station. Harun has been improving processes at the washing station: installing shade netting to cover drying beds during the hottest hours of the day; instigating cherry selection at the delivery point; tagging day lots in order to keep them separate and monitor moisture content throughout the drying phase, ensuring even drying before the lots are assembled.

Mustefa has a small field lab and in 2020 he bought a high-spec Sinar moisture reader to ensure that all the parchment dried in the stations was reaching the same moisture level before being stored in the warehouse. Harun has been assessing and grading the dried day-lots, putting them together based on quality and cupping profile. He is currently training farmers in good agricultural practices (GAP) in order to improve the quality and productivity of their coffee gardens.