Peru Simon Brown & Merlith Cruz

Region: Jaen, Cajamarca Altitude: 1950 - 2000 m.a.s.l. Variety: Heirloom Processing: Natural, bioreactor with mosto

UK Arrival: January 2026

Tasting Notes: Reflecting its Ethiopian heritage and innovative processing, this coffee offers lush blueberry, elegant jasmine and cardamom aromatics. Notes of slivered almond and a generous sweetness result in a luxurious cup.

Available as whole bean only. 

Of all the coffees we’ve tasted, this one stands out as truly exceptional. The remarkable flavours in the cup are a result of an uncommon confluence between the coffee variety, its origin and how the cherries were processed after picking. It’s a naturally processed Ethiopian heirloom variety that was fermented in a bioreactor tank using mosto as a starter culture.

It was grown by Simon Brown and Merlith Cruz on their farm, Las Etíopes, which is planted with Ethiopian varieties like Gesha, Wush Wush and this Heirloom. In addition to growing coffee, the duo are also the founders of Chacra importers. In that capacity they work with smallholders like themselves, who are committed to producing top quality lots and using carefully crafted, innovative processing methods. 

Why This Coffee Tastes So Delicious

“Heirloom”—also known as “landrace”—varieties are actually a group of genetically related coffee trees that still grow wild in Ethiopia today. Of course, all coffee originally came from Ethiopia, but most coffee we consume comes from plants that have been bred to increase yield and disease resistance. Because of its genetics, despite being grown in Peru, this coffee’s flavour profile is more akin to an Ethiopian coffee. We’re finding more and more genetically-Ethiopian coffee being grown in Central and South America, especially in Peru and Colombia. It’s a compelling trend from a flavour standpoint because it begs the question, how much of a coffee’s flavour comes from where it was grown—its terroir—and how much comes from its genetics?

The third big factor in the phenomenal flavour profile of this coffee is how the cherries were processed after picking. After rinsing with cool spring water to reduce the initial microbial load, the whole cherries with skin intact were placed into a bioreactor, which is a sealed metal tank that gives the farmer control over variables like pressure, pH level, temperature and agitation. Then they added mosto, which is the liquid produced when ripe coffee cherries ferment, from another batch of coffee. The fermenting juice acts like a sugar-rich starter culture that kickstarts fermentation in the tank. This process means that the cherries were inoculated with exactly the types of microorganisms that create the desired fermentation. The bioreactor allows careful monitoring and control of fermentation. 

After that the cherries were carefully dried on raised beds in thin layers. The drying process can go wrong with mould or bad bacteria colonizing, so turning frequently, shading during the midday heat and maintaining steady airflow are crucial. It’s a painstaking process that can take up to 25 days, but carefully drying the whole cherries extends the fermentation even more and heightens the intensity of the coffee’s natural flavours. 

A Different Way of Farming

Simon and Merlith are young farmers who bought Las Etíopes in 2019. Located in the village of El Porvenir in Jaén, Cajamarca, the farm covers an area of seven hectares, at an altitude between 1,950 and 2,000 m.a.s.l. Three hectares are planted with coffee and the rest of the farm is forested. They use alternative, ecofriendly practices like wider spacing between plants, shade trees (which aren’t normally used at their altitude), organic and biodynamic practices and intercropping with native beans and other nitrogen fixers. 

Even in Peru, where smallholder farms are often organic by default, they report that more and more chemicals are being used and coffee farms are becoming mono-cropped. These practices will increase crop volume and yield, an

This natural-processed coffee from the high-altitude Jaen region of Cajamarca showcases the work of producers Simon Brown and Merlith Cruz. The lot employs a bioreactor with mosto during fermentation—a technique that can intensify fruit-forward characteristics while maintaining complexity. Heirloom varietal coffees, grown at 1950–2000 meters above sea level, tend toward distinctive aromatic profiles. Steampunk Coffee's tasting notes—blueberry, jasmine, cardamom, slivered almond, and underlying sweetness—reflect the interplay between terroir, altitude, and the producers' fermentation approach. Natural processing methods like this one typically develop heavier fruit expression; this lot's additional florality and spiced notes suggest careful execution and varietal character worth exploring.