The secret to this exceptional and very special lot is wood. Usually this is not the ‘secret ingredient’ you are looking for in a specialty coffee, but when you are talking about wooden barrels, you are into a whole new category of excellence. This nano lot of Guadalupe Zaju has been barrel aged in whisky barrels re-purposed from the Brown Forman Group, whose famous bourbon brands include Jack Daniels, Gentleman Jack and Woodford Reserve. The coffee is aged, in parchment, in these barrels for three weeks, and the result is a complex, boozy and deeply satisfying brew.

The team at Guadalupe Zaju came up with this innovative concept in seeking to develop a new product that would emphasise the complex and intrinsic characteristics of the coffee bean itself. Barrel Aging as a process is a relatively quick method of enhancing the flavour profile of the coffee without damaging the bean structure and with minimal risk to negative characteristics.

Lots selected to be barrel aged were selected based on a score of 83+, with fruit and wine profiles. These selected lots were then blended to balance the cup and aged in parchment barrels to contribute the heady aroma of Bourbon.

The coffee at Guadalupe Zaju is 100% shade grown (in fact, the farm is Rainforest Alliance, Utz AND Cafe Practices certified). Shade is well-managed and designed to be multi-purpose. Magnolia from Guatemala has been selected due to the fact that it is evergreen and has less leaf fall. Even more importantly, it is a sturdy tree with a relatively high canopy. The area is known for being windy (high winds in of 2008’s Tropical Storm Odile almost ripped the entire harvest away). Magnolia can withstand high winds and help protect the vulnerable coffee trees below. Shade trees are also selected for their ability to control pests. Because of coffee leaf rust and rising temperatures, the farm still has to apply some fungicide and pesticide. But they are able to limit application by widely planting the Chal n tree (Inga spp.). Not only does this tree provide shade and help fix nitrogen into the soil, it provides a feast for the “Chulunero” insect (as it is known locally), which would otherwise attack the coffee trees.

All coffee on the farm is selectively hand harvested and sorted, again, when it is delivered to the farms mill. The coffee is pulped using a Pinhalense ecopulper, purchased in 2009, which separates ripe and underripe/underweight cherries again, along with removing any debris remaining with the cherries. This pulper uses one cubic meter of water to process up to 20 tonnes! This is a huge water savings and contributes greatly towards limiting the farm’s environmental footprint.

After pulping, coffee is sorted by density and delivered to separate tanks to ferment between 15 to 40 hours, depending on the weather at the time. The coffee’s ‘readiness’ to be washed is done using the traditional method of ‘prueba de palo’ (stick test), where the coffee is stirred with a long pole to see if it is the right consistency to be washed. The farm has experimented with temperature gauges, but the workers find that these traditional methods are equally as accurate in determining fermentation levels.

After fermentation, the coffee is delivered to a demucilager to remove any last traces of mucilage, again helping the farm save water and limit waste.

Guadalupe Zaju Barrel Aged

Carvetii are specialty coffee roasters committed to supplying high quality coffee to Cumbria and beyond.

Carvetii Coffee have been supplying Cumbria and the UK with the most amazing specialty coffee since 2011. We have developed a strong reputation for the quality of our products and our commitment to the very best customer service. Today we continue to roast only the very best coffee and have expanded our products to include our own range of teas and hot chocolates. We supply espresso machines to both commercial and domestic customers and have our own servicing department to provide excellent and prompt after sales support. Our commitment to staff training is unparalleled and we are licensed to deliver the Specialty Coffee Association Coffee Skills Programme. We also run a range of home barista courses from our premises. Winner of the CN Group New Business of the Year Award 2013 Top 5 Micro Roaster in the UK according to Caffeine Magazine Best Small Producer 2015 (Cumbria Life Food & Drink Awards) Best Drinks Producer 2018 (Cumbria Life Food & Drink Awards) Shortlisted finalist for the Great British Food Awards 2020

Guadalupe Zaju Barrel Aged

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Guadalupe Zaju Barrel Aged

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