Uchumachi - Bolivia

Tasting Notes: Toffee, raisin and blueberry. A well-rounded and smooth coffee with medium body and sweetness.

Process: Washed

Variety: Caturra, Catuaí & Typica

Elevation: 1300-1500MASL

Coffee was first introduced into Bolivia in the late 18th and early 19th century by Spanish colonists. This was primarily in the Yungas region, a rich and fertile area of the country great for agriculture. The indigenous peoples thus planted coffee in these high altitudes under the direction of the French, but volumes were quite small. It was not until the mid-1900s that the country began to properly grow and produce coffee. Bolivia did not gain independence until 1825, but due to political instability, it was challenging to maintain coffee production for the following century.

Agriculture reforms took place in the 20th century, allowing for the country to give ownership of land to the newly freed indigenous peoples in Caranavi, an area within the Yungas. Today, this is the largest growing region in Bolivia. Producers began creating groups and cooperatives, the ANPROCA (National Coffee Producers Association) was initiated in 1976 and FECAFEB (Federation of Coffee Exporters of Bolivia) in 1991. Between 85 – 95% of the coffee grown in Bolivia is produced by smallholder farmers on farms ranging in size 
between 1 and 8 hectares.

This specific lot comes from three producers in Uchumachi, one of Bolivia’s oldest coffee-growing regions. In the 1950s and 1960s, sawmills came into this land and constructed roads that later assisted with agricultural production. Coffee production soon took off, reaching its peak in 1990 thanks to the efforts from USAID, which supported coffee development as a part of efforts to eradicate coca plantations. Through this initiative, farmers received essential resources to improve and maintain coffee production. Between 1990 and 2000, coffee producers in Uchumachi gained valuable experience and connected with international markets.

This lot is comprised of coffee from three producers in the region, made up of Caturra, Catuaí, and Typica. As soon as the coffee is carefully handpicked, the cherries are floated in water to remove any floaters. The cherries remain here for 6 – 8 hoursbefore undergoing a second sorting occurring by hand. Next, the coffee is pulped via machine. Roughly 90% of farms here use the JM Estrada pulping machine with a selector—small-scale models with a processing capacity of 300 to 450 kg per hour. Once the coffee is pulped, it enters a fermentation tank, where it ferments for 12 – 24 hours, depending on weather conditions. After fermentation, the coffee undergoes washing in the "canal de correteo", where all mucilage is cleaned away. The coffee is then dispersed on patios to dry in the open sun for a couple of days. Once this initial drying process is completed, the coffee is transferred to raised beds covered with a tunnel-like structure made of agrofilm, to complete the drying process for an additional 2 – 3 weeks. The coffee is then transferred to the El Alto dry mill, located roughly 8 hours away from the farms, to be hulled and prepared for export.