Peru–Alejandro Padilla

Region: La Copia, Cajamarca

Altitude:  1750 -1850 mals

Varieties: Marshell

Process: Washed

Cupping notes: White Grape, Honeydew, Marzipan

Cupping score: 86.75

This lot of Marshell variety was cultivated at 1850 m.a.s.l. on Alejandro’s farm. He owns a 7-hectare plot in La Copia, Cajamarca. The fertile volcanic soil, rich in organic matter, provides a strong foundation for coffee cultivation. La Copia experiences a cold climate with warm days and significant rainfall. This combination of factors, along with the careful selection and processing of cherries by Alejandro, results in high-quality coffee beans. 

Marshell is a variety discovered in 2016 by Grimanes Morales Lizana, a coffee farmer in the municipality of San Ignacio, Peru. The Marshall tree looks very different from the rest of the varieties cultivated in the area. So, the coffee farmers who found it (the Grimanes family) named it Marshall.

The name was created using the letters of the names and surnames of the family members of the woman producer who found it. It is believed that the coffee is the result of a natural mutation of the Bourbon variety, as Marshell is more resistant, high-yielding, and of higher quality. This coffee has participated in different Cups of Excellence, placing between first top 5 positions, demonstrating its quality and excellence in the cup. The best cherries of Marshell were picked and then hand-sorted to remove any defects. Afterward, the coffee was pulped and dry fermented for 28 days. Afterward, the coffee was washed to completely remove the mucilage. The coffee was then sun-dried for 15 days.