We often seek new and exciting coffee regions, remote places growing world class coffee. In these remote growing regions traditional old growth varietals dominate. This is good for us coffee drinkers because these varietals, while trickier to grow & produce less yield, they make up for it in cup quality. This coffee hails from Tabaconas, Peru and Vigilante Coffee is one of the first roasters to bring to market an isolated Tabaconas specialty coffee. Over the last decades low coffee prices have led to many producers abandoning coffee production due to the lack of profitability. Many coffee farmers in Tabaconas saw drug production as the only perspective for a better economic income. This issue has become a common problem among Peruvian coffee producers, especially in the South where more and more producers start to grow coca leaves. At the same time, Tabaconas has the potential to produce some of the best coffees in Peru and the co-op, Ascafeto is working to help producers make the switch to this alternative to gain a better income. This is where we come in, with a goal of establishing a long term partnership where the co-op can depend on us to purchase coffees at 3-5 times the commodity price and we can depend on them for outstanding quality.
The coffees from the siblings Adelaida and Eduardo Chinchay make up about 50% of our Tabaconas blend. The other half is composed of lots from the following producers that our friend Thomas of Red Beetle purchased at the Tabaconas green coffee competition. This competition was organized for the first time by the local municipality last year. The names of the farmers whose coffee makes up the other 50% of this coffee is Elias Minga Tocto, Manuel Ubilius Garcia, Hector Adianzen Meza, Nils Chanchay Flores. We are so excited to bring this new Peruvian coffee to our Vigilante Familia!