Peru: Irene Herrera - La Mandarina, Marshell, Washed
La Mandarina
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This elegant cup opens with a burst of tangerine followed by strawberry fondants and a spoonful of brown sugar. As it finishes, there's a little lime juice and a delicate floral note too.This coffee stood out on a cupping table of options we were looking at - all from Cajamarca in Peru - for it's elegance and clarity in the cup. We were cupping with the Origin Coffee Lab team, who export for us, and looking for something really tasty to get. When they shared the name of the producer with me - Irene Herrera - it was a light bulb moment.In 2022 I went to Peru for the first time, after we had purchased some coffees from there the year before. My first trip with Origin Coffee Lab - who I'm now lucky enough to know well - was to the La Coipa village. We walked past several coffee farms to have lunch at the house of head of Gallitos de Rocas comite, Milciades Minga - and his wife Irene Herrera!The couple's house is a little larger than some other nearby houses, maybe because Milciades is also a carpenter. The top floor is used for drying coffee, with living space and kitchen below. Guinea Pigs are kept inside in a pen - a staple food animal in Peru, known as Cuy (pronounced Coo-ee). Along with a big lunch by Irene, we had fruit punch made in a barrel by mixing fruit juice and the local cane sugar spirit Yonke.La Mandarina is behind the house and includes a small nursery of baby plants. As with many Cajamarca farms, it's a steep climb to the top and I was hard pressed to keep up with Irene!
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- Country: Peru
- Region: La Coipa
- Producer: Irene Herrera
- Farm: La Mandarina
- Altitude: 1,750-2,000 m.a.s.l.
- Variety: Marshell
- Processing method: Washed
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Tasting notes: Tangerine, strawberry fondant, brown sugar.
Cup of Excellence Cupping Scores- Clean Cup: 6/8
- Sweetness: 6.5/8
- Acidity: 6/8
- Mouthfeel: 6.5/8
- Flavour: 6.5/8
- Aftertaste: 6.5/8
- Balance: 6.5/8
- Overall: 6.5/8
- Correction: (+36): +36
- Total: 87/100
If you'd like to find out more about how we score coffees, make sure to read our blog post “What Do Coffee Cupping Scores Actually Mean?” and if you'd like to try cupping yourself, we've got a guide to that too! What is Coffee Cupping.
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Medium
Through first and all the way up to the edge of second, but keep it light enough for the juicy tropical fruit to come through. -
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Producer Stories
Learn more about coffee sourcingLa Mandarina
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