Coffee Description
Flavor notes of cherry and grape pair with caramelized sugar. Acidity is sweet and balanced with velvety body and lingering sweetness.
Roast Level from the Roaster
Refers to the roast level in comparison with other coffees from the roaster
Light
Variety
Bourbon
Process
Washed
Elevation
1500-1800 masl
Region
Cajamarca
About Percy, Jefry, Silvio and Melqueades Pintado of Peru
For this edition of their Cruz del Sur (Southern Cross), Intelligentsia has connected with coffee from Finca Rayos del Sol “Rays of Sunshine.” This farm near the small village of Alto Ihuamaca belongs to four brothers: Percy, Jefry, Silvio and Melqueades Pintado. Together they grow organic coffee that is definitely worth the 4-hour drive up from Jaen on dirt roads that would make a mountain goat anxious. This is Intelligentsia’s third straight year of buying the Pintados’ coffee.
Their corner of the coffee growing world is located in the Tabaconas-Namballe National Sanctuary, a huge protected area of natural forest which has rich soil, high elevation, along with the warm days and cool nights that coffee trees love. It is also home to a dizzying array of vegetation and wildlife including the Spectacled Bear.
Cajamarca, Peru
Intelligentsia Coffee
Founded in 1995, this Chicago-based institution got its start roasting on vintage equipment within its first coffeebar. At the time, finding great tasting, freshly roasted coffee was surprisingly elusive. So, Doug Zell and Emily Mange decided to do something about it. They didn’t set out to change the world, just a small corner of it, and they certainly did just that, pioneering Direct Trade practices in the coffee industry before that really became a thing. Because of this, they were able to develop and source exclusive, remarkable coffees not found elsewhere.
Fast forward to today: with a focus on consistency, quality, and sustainability, Intelligentsia continues to be an industry pioneer, traveling the world to source the finest specialty coffee and roasting those beans at their Chicago and Los Angeles locations. True to their original quest, they believe that coffee in all its forms—whole bean, brewed, and espresso—should be an approachable, accessible luxury. For Intelligentsia, making coffee a memorable addition to any experience and making the act of preparing and enjoying a cup of coffee an experience in and of itself are key passions.