Danelaw - Dagr Blend

Origin

Blend of coffee from the Tolima region of Colombia, the Huehuetenango region of Guatemala and the Peralta Estate in Nicaragua.

Variety

Various

Processing

Washed & Anaerobic

Altitude

Various

Roast Profile

Omni-Roast

Tasting Notes

Notes of Milk Chocolate and Stone Fruit

Coffee Facts

The Colombia component is Organic, and sourced from a cluster of coffee producer groups around the town of Planadas in Tolima. This is a zone of post-conflict, where until very recently the local conditions were such that it was too dangerous to leave the farm to go to school, so the young people of the area took their education from coffee farming. When I visited in 2018 I found superb Organic farms, delicious coffees and generous, friendly people who were really proud of what they have achieved. Planadas also has one of the best burger joints I’ve ever had the privilege of visiting!

The Guatemala component is sourced from Union Cantinil in Huehuetenango. Here, producers are predominantly smallholders with around 1 hectare of land. The warehouse in Unión Cantinil is located in the heart of the municipality and receives coffee from a small radius of about 15km. This high altitude region has some of the best coffees in Huehuetenango. The generally north facing aspect of the mountains means the sun takes its time reaching the small plots where the coffee
is grown. While there is some Catimor planted in the region, the common varietals are more traditional and conducive to a high quality cup, such as Bourbons, Caturras and Paches. Coffee cherries are harvested ripe and then de-pulped usually by either manual or small-motored pulpers. This is then left to ferment overnight until the coffee’s remaining mucilage has broken down. Washing is then carried out, usually in specialised channels

The final component of the blend is from Nicaragua and is an anaerobic natural caturra from Peralta Estates. The Peralta brothers, Julio and Octavio are the current owners of the family farm that has been operating since the start of the 20th century. In 2008, however, they switched focus to more specialised preparations, and invested in planting specific varietals as well as in processing.  With this coffee: first, ripe cherries are sorted and washed. Afterward, they are introduced into airtight 450L tanks to ferment for up to 72 hours in an anaerobic environment. To lower the temperature down to approximately 15 Celsius, the tanks are placed inside water-filled fermenting pools to slow the fermentation and avoid spoilage or risk of taints for up to 72 hours.  After the fermentation period is finished, the cherries are taken out of the tanks and transported to the dry mill for the drying process which may take up to 30 days. Initially, the cherries are spread on a single layer for a three day period to allow them to shed off the excess water. Once the excess water is eliminated and the cherries begin to dry, these are placed on the covered drying beds for the remainder of the drying period. The cherries are moved by hand three times a day to allow them to dry evenly and prevent mould or over-fermentation.