Chontali Coffee Profile
Varietals
Catuai, Caturra, Pache
Process
Washed
Producer
Various Smallholders
Notes
Cocoa Butter, Fudge & Gala Apples.
About the Producer
This lot is exported by Falcon Coffees, who receive small, day-to-day parchment (coffee still inside its hull) deliveries from producers in Chontalí into their warehouse in the city of Jaén. Each delivery undergoes physical analysis and cupping; once a lot is cupped, they make a same-day price offer to the farmer, keeping the loop between delivery, evaluation, and payment direct. This tight structure supports cash flow on farm and ensures price is set by quality—both physical metrics and cup score.
Chontalí (Jaén, Cajamarca) is a highland coffee district of steep ridges and humid valleys, with many smallholder communities. Each farm is typically less than two hectares, between roughly 1,600 - 2,000 masl. Caturra, Bourbon, and Typica with some Pache and Catimor mixed in are the dominant varieatals, and fully washed processing is most common, alongside limited honey and natural experimentations. The broader Jaén area follows a tropical wet–dry rhythm: rains generally peak around March, while a drier window runs from about May to October (often driest in late July–September).
Falcon Coffees Peru (FCP) was established in 2019 to work directly with farmers in the northern producing region and were among the first exporters to pay quality-differentiated prices at the farm gate. In 2022 they added exports via producer cooperatives to give buyers more reliable access to third-party certified coffees. They now operate two northern warehouses—Jaén and Moyobamba—with a 20+ person team sourcing and exporting coffee from over 500 farmers and eight cooperatives, while their sustainability team runs farmer training and productivity work alongside sourcing.