Peru Aromas del Valle Decaf

Aromas del Valle is a young cooperative — leadership and membership largely in their thirties — working across the Cutervo highlands of Cajamarca with about five hundred producers. General manager Iván has built the co-op around an unusually complete idea of farmer support: seedlings for coffee and for native shade and fruit trees, organic inputs, resurfaced fermentation tanks, management training, access to capital. They run a professional lab with a nationally recognized cupper, and they put money back into members producing high-scoring coffees through pulpers and solar dryers.

They also fund something called Mestiza, a project running across twelve communities that takes on the cultural roots of machismo limiting women's participation in the coffee economy. Psychologists make home visits with families. Technical advisors work directly with women growers. The cooperative pays for it out of its own pocket.

The coffee is certified organic, washed, and decaffeinated by the Swiss Water process — no solvents, just water and time. Figs and grapes up front, honey through the middle, milk chocolate underneath. Most decaf asks you to lower your expectations. This one doesn't.

Tasting notes: figs, grapes, honey, milk chocolate

Co-op: Aromas del Valle
Lot: Gran Amoju Cutervo Organic Washed Decaf
Region: Cutervo, Cajamarca
Process: Washed, Swiss Water Decaf
Altitude: 1,750–2,000 MASL
Varieties: Caturra, Bourbon
Certification: USDA Organic