Description
Who is Faustino Flores?
Faustino Flores, a seasoned coffee cultivator based in the El Diamante town, in the San Jose de Lourdes District, part of the San Ignacio Province, in the Cajamarca Region. Faustino is Father to David Flores, the founder of coffee organisation, Finca El Morito. Like David, he is deeply involved in the art of coffee production, but Faustino specialices in innovative cultivation techniques and exploring new coffee varietals. His passion for coffee is rooted in their family tradition, as he is part of a lineage of coffee farmers dedicated to the craft going back a few generations.
About Faustino Flores and Finca El Morito?
Faustino Flores plays a pivotal role at Finca El Morito, a famous coffee producing family with 150 hectares across their El Diamante town.. They are known for their exceptional Yellow Caturra with its fruity profile but in the past few years have started to experiment with new varietals, mainly Geisha and this coffee, Marshell.
About Marshell Coffee Varietal
The Marshell varietal is relatively new to the world of coffee and has intriguing characteristics. First of all the genetic makeup of the coffee is a rare form of Catimor, which itself is a hybrid coffee varietal that combines the robustness and disease resistance of Caturra and the Timor Hybrid (a cross of Arabica and Robusta). We had this Marshell genetically tested at RD2 Vision to find out exactly what it was because the flavour and score in the cup is not like a normal Catimor, it far exceeds the usual flavour profiles and delves into the floral and the fruity.
The potential for Marshell is immense because the flavour profiles score high in the cup while also being a tough varietal that can withstand the many diseases that plague coffee production. Since 2019, the Marshell varietals has grown in importance in Peru because it actually won the Cup of Excellence.
From that day, many coffee producers, including Faustino, have made an effort to plant for both sustainability of income and potential for the return on investment. It’s unknown the origins of this exciting varietal but likely that it has come from a breeding program because of how uniform the genetics are and unlikely from a result of grafting two varietals together. This won’t be the last Marshall that we source and we hope to find it improve over time in the cup as it matures at farms while also being able to provide a good yield in spite of all the changing and more challenging conditions at the farms across Peru.
How was the coffee processed?
The beans are selectively harvested, and then floated to make sure that only ripe cherries remain.The coffee is then placed in sealed tanks for a 72 hours anaerobic fermentation.
The cherries are then left to dry in solar dryers 30 days, this extended drying period takes place in the solar dryer using purpose-built dryer modules that stagger the dryer phase at different heights. The design of this process is used to maximise the potential of unique and desirable flavours of the varietal.
The role of Finca El Morito for this coffee?
Finca El Morito, under the Flores family stewardship, is not just a coffee farm but a hub of innovation and sustainability in their district, San Jose de Lourdes. The farm is dedicated to producing high-quality coffees, suited to its climate and geography. Faustino’s role extends to overseeing the entire process at the farm level, where David is more responsible for the marketing of the green coffee beans. Their efforts ensure that each lot is processed with attention to detail, care, efficiency and promoting this directly to roasters and importers.
How does Khipu Coffee know about Faustino?
This is the third year we have sourced from Finca El Morito and one of the few farms we’ve worked with back to back and yet to visit. However, we have good relationships with David, Vladimir and Lenin from the team at Finca El Morito and were recently with them at Ficafe 2024 in Tingo Maria. We initially met David at Expo Cajamarca in 2022 and during our trip in August 2023 we had a cupping session in their Jaen office. It was here that we were introduced to their Marshell alongside a number of beautiful Bourbons and Caturras. Since then, the Marshell has become a go to for us.
What the producers want you to know
The team at Finca El Morito, led by David, wants coffee enthusiasts to understand their commitment to environmental stewardship and sustainable practices. They use organic compost, minimize synthetic fertiliser use, and integrate technology in post-harvest processes. With their profits from the farm they have invested in their post-harvesting infrastructure with more tanks, tubs, drying areas, and warehouses, and started to develop management activities for soil conservation, water, native species, and organic compost.
Their approach to coffee production is deeply intertwined with respect for the natural forest environment that surrounds the farm. By choosing their coffee, we not only support their rich heritage and quality of Peruvian coffee but also the ecological and social ethos that Finca El Morito upholds.
VARIETAL: Marshell
PROCESSING: Anaerobic & Extended Fermentation Natural
ALTITUDE: 1750 meters above sea level
OWNER: Faustino Flores
SUBREGION/TOWN: El Diamante town
HARVEST MONTHS: July – September
Information and pictures kindly supplied by Mark at Khipu
How to store coffee at home
To keep your coffee as fresh as possible, you need to protect your coffee from air, sunlight, heat, and moisture. These all will contribute to making it stale and lose flavour.
We suggest keeping your coffee in an airtight container, in a cool, dry cupboard. Our bags all have a de-gassing valve, to let out CO2 that the beans produce once roasted, it’s not just there to sniff the coffee, and a reusable ziplock. So if you don’t have a fancy coffee jar just push the air out the bag, zip the lock and give the bag another squeeze to get any remaining air out.
Do not store your coffee in the fridge. Roasted coffee absorbs moisture from the air (hygroscopic) and will also take up surrounding aromas. The aromas and moisture levels in the fridge will react with the coffee and delicate flavours will deteriorate.
Need help on which grind size? Click here
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