Peru - Maria Estela

A rich, chocolatey and deeply expressive natural from Cajamarca, Peru. 

This lot showcases the fascinating Marshell varietal which is a rare coffee with an almost mythical origin story. In 2011, a mysterious coffee tree on Finca La Lucuma survived a devastating fungal outbreak that wiped out the rest of the farm. The tree became the foundation for an entirely new varietal.

Farm owner Grimanes Morales Lizana propagated the surviving tree across the farm, naming the new varietal Marshell in honour of her father-in-law, Marcelino. Just a few years later, the coffee gained international attention when it won the 2019 Peru Cup of Excellence with an incredible score of 92 outperforming even several Geishas.

Today, a small number of producers in Cajamarca are growing Marshell, including Maria Estela at Finca La Perla, where this coffee was produced.

Roasted light-medium, this natural processed lot is rich and syrupy with notes of dark chocolate, Japanese plum wine (umeshu) and a bright raspberry finish. We’re especially loving this one as espresso.

Brew Method

Filter: 16:1 water-to-coffee ratio (e.g., 20g coffee to 320ml water), medium-coarse grind

Espresso: 19g coffee - 41g espresso, 32-36 seconds shot time

Recommended Resting

To get the best out of our coffees we recommend resting them. We have found for espresso the optimal age is 10 - 21 days after the roast date and for filter brew methods we find our coffees start tasting best after 3-4 weeks after the roast!