PRODUCER PROFILE
Never will we forget the experience of visiting Cuba in 2013.
This origin coffee has become increasingly harder to source in recent years due to major weather events decimating the coffee crops.
However if President Obama continues to drive cultural change in economic relations with Cuba, this origin will no doubt become a favourite of the Gourmet Coffee Industry in the USA, which will only serve to increase its rarity going forward.
In 2015, devastatingly, the crop was destroyed by the fungus disease La Roya. The result is that no beans are being exported from the new season crop. This also ensures that next crop will indeed be very precious.
Smokey | Tobacco | Chocolate
Region: Sierra Maestra mountain range
Harvest: July - February
Varietal: Typica
Process: Wet Processed, Sun Dried
An island of natural beauty, offering classic Caribbean landscapes of palms and beaches, Cuba is also renowned for its vast array of plants and animal species.
The country’s elongated and narrow shape facilitates the circulation of trade winds from the Atlantic, which cools its tropical, humid climate. Flat low lying plains account for approximately two thirds of the country and are primarily covered by sugar cane and tobacco plantations.
The remaining one third of the land is mountainous; the most dramatic range, the Sierra Maestra Mountain is home to some of the world’s finest coffee plantations.
Country
Location
Varietal
In Cuba, the Government controls the production and sales of all the coffee grown. There is a sole quality control person for all the export coffee in Cuba. His role is to cup all coffees from each of the 4 main growing areas and calibrate them. Except for Crystal Mountain, all coffee from the other 3 regions are cross blended after sorting for defect and screen size, but not necessarily taste.
All coffee is organically grown without certification and all residue water cleaned in settling ponds prior to ground water release. Trees are Typica, Catui and Bourbon.
This is a good all-rounder with great character, clean body and smoothness – the most exemplary thing about this coffee is its ability to carry its plum sweet tobacco body through milk, which because of its length and depth, means it makes a great single origin espresso.
Our trip was filled with great coffee, wonderful people and beautiful vivid colours. Throughout the Cuban culture there are varying hues and textures the give the country it's distinctive and vibrant flare.
