La Llama - Single Origin - BOLIVIA

Rock Melon, cocoa and blackcurrant 

Variety: Yellow Caturra 

Process: Washed Anaerobic 24 hr fermented - Medium Filter Roast

Suggested methods: Pour over, Aeropress, Cold Brew and Plunger

The Rodríguez Family – Finca La Llama

This coffee comes from Finca La Llama, a farm owned by the Rodríguez family in Villa Rosario, Caranavi, Bolivia. The farm sits at an elevation of 1,700 meters above sea level, making it the highest of the Los Rodríguez farms. The family also operates Agricafe, an exporting company founded by Pedro Rodríguez, who entered the coffee industry in 1986.

La Llama is a relatively young farm, producing coffee since 2017, but it has quickly gained recognition for its exceptional quality. The farm benefits from a unique mountain microclimate, mineral-rich soils, and cool temperatures that allow coffee cherries to mature slowly, resulting in greater sugar development and sweetness.

This particular lot is a 1,200 kg lot of 100% Yellow Caturra, one of several varieties grown experimentally on the farm.

HOW THIS COFFEE WAS PROCESSED

The coffee cherries were carefully handpicked by trained workers from the Villa Rosario community, who selected only the ripest fruit at peak maturity. To ensure optimal quality, multiple passes were made through the farm during harvest, with the Rodríguez family finding that the deepest coloured, almost purple cherries produced the best cup profile.

After harvest, the cherries were inspected, weighed, and sorted by density using water, with any lower-quality floaters removed. The cherries were then disinfected and transferred into custom-built stainless-steel tanks, where they underwent a 24-hour anaerobic fermentation. During this stage, the tanks remained completely sealed, preventing oxygen from entering and allowing the fruit-forward and aromatic compounds to develop within the coffee.

Following fermentation, the coffee was thoroughly washed with fresh water before being dried for approximately 151 hours in stationary box dryers. These specialised dryers use a gentle flow of warm air beneath the coffee bed, allowing the parchment coffee to dry slowly and evenly. To maintain consistency throughout the drying process, the coffee was manually stirred every two hours.

Once the desired moisture level had been reached, the coffee was transported to La Paz for a resting period before being milled at Agricafe’s La Luna dry mill. There, it underwent hulling and mechanical sorting, followed by meticulous hand-sorting under both natural and UV light to ensure only the highest-quality beans were selected for export. This careful and highly controlled processing approach contributes to the coffee’s clarity, sweetness, and distinctive flavour profile.

NOTES&CHARACTERISTICS

This coffee offers a rich and sweet cup profile with a syrupy body and an elegant, perfumed finish. Distinct notes of blackcurrant and plum bring a deep, juicy fruit character, while rock melon adds a softer sweetness and brightness to the cup. As the coffee cools, a lingering cocoa powder note emerges, providing balance and complexity to the finish.

The combination of high-altitude cultivation and anaerobic fermentation contributes to the coffee's concentrated sweetness, vibrant fruit expression, and aromatic complexity. Overall, it is a clean and refined coffee with a full mouthfeel, layered fruit notes, and a long, satisfying aftertaste.

This coffee is described as rich, sweet, and highly expressive, with a syrupy body and a perfumed finish.

ORIGIN: Bolivia

REGION: Caranavi-Villa Rosario

VARIETY: Yellow Caturra

PROCESS: Washed Anaerobic

ALTITUDE: 1,700 MASL

SUGGESTED METHODS: Plunger, Pour over, Aeropress and Cold Brew