Young Producer Program – Cochadas

About UVI:

In Unblended’s words:
“[Unblended and Ventola Institute] is program that guides young coffee producers into the creation and growth of their own coffee business. In this community lot, we aim to share our mission and recruit new members to the program. In doing so, we continue to learn about other origins, stories and challenges faced by coffee producers. The UVI Recruitment from Andes is a blend of small producers contributing to a bigger lot to guarantee quality, year-round availability and a consistent profile.”

About the Varieties:

Caturra is a natural mutation of the Bourbon variety. This mutation grows smaller (called dwarfism) allowing it to be planted closer together and bear more fruit in a smaller space. It was discovered in Brazil in the early 1900s and introduced to Guatemala in the 1940s, but it did not have widespread commercial adoption for almost three decades throughout Central America. Caturra is also known for being one of the parents of the Catimor variety of cultivars, various lines of the coffee-leaf-rust-resistant Timor Hybrid were crossed with Caturra to produce a dwarf plant with rust resistance. Castillo and Colombia are two examples of this.

About the Process:

Cochadas begins with producers harvesting coffee in batches. As they harvest, the cherries are stored in barrels for a set time period. This means that at the end of the week, some cherries have been fermenting longer than others, creating a depth of acidity and balance within the cup.