Fair Trade Organic Peru Rutas del Inca

WHY WE LOVE IT: A perennial favorite that has a balanced sweetness and a fruity backdrop. 

DESCRIPTION: chocolate covered raisin, honey, green apple

REGION: Querocoto, Chota Province, Cajamarca

ALTITUDE: 1,800 - 2,400 m

PROCESSING: Washed

VARIETY: Caturra, Typica, Catimor, Bourbon, Catuai

There are many in our St. Louis Roastery that eagerly await the annual return of Peru Rutas del Inca. This year, we purchased 300 bags of the cooperative's harvest, and while it plays a pivotal role in many of our mainstay and Fair Trade Organic blends, it's also one of those exceptional coffees that can shine brightly on its own. 

Founded in 2013 with only 33 members, Rutas del Inca quickly grew to be one of Peru’s leading producers of organic-certified specialty coffee. Now consisting of over 258 members (30 women and 228 men), the cooperative stretches across 27 communities in the Querocoto, Huambos, and Querecotillo districts where the farmers receive excellent support in the form of fertilizers, drying tents, fermentation, de-pulping machines, and small irrigation systems.

As one of the few coffee cooperatives in Peru’s Chota province, Rutas del Inca pushes the boundaries of where coffee can be grown. Reaching high into the Peruvian mountains — up to 2,400 m — the farmers at Rutas del Inca take advantage of their region’s consistently cool temperatures for an even and controlled drying. Their unique ecosystem paired with their careful farming and processing creates a coffee that we are excited to buy year after year.

This year's harvest reminds us of a chocolate covered raisin with a deep raw honey sweetness. Over the top is a lively green apple acidity, giving the coffee its uncanny complexity. It's a coffee you can drink again and again and find something a little new each time. Exceptionally balanced and sweet, Peru Rutas del Inca once again lives up to its reputation as one of our yearly favorites.