Norcafe Cooperative president Ylder Herrera was born into a world of coffee. On the northern end of the Andes mountain range, where the peaks make way for valleys and plains, the Herreras had set up a professional operation churning out high quality coffees year after year. Having picked up the ropes during childhood on his parents’ farm, and with a business degree under his belt, he returned an adult man to his origins and has since dedicated himself to his farm Flor del Valle, and the Norcafe Cooperative.
Norcafé started as a project of young university students with a coffee background, aiming to improve coffee quality and opportunities for the grower communities. Unlike many other modern cooperatives, the group has decided not to focus on hip new cultivars or experimental processing methods. Instead, they aim to build on their parents’ knowhow by cultivating traditional varieties and by applying contemporary farming methods such as selective picking and natural fermentation done well.
This not only keeps them relevant for coffee buyers who seek stability and confident flavour profiles; contemporary methods equally imply a contemporary attention to the farm environment. This coffee is certified organic, as a direct result of Ylder’s integral approach to his farm. The lot itself represents about two thirds of Flor del Valle’s output, and is a classic washed coffee from South America.
Brewed as an espresso, this coffee comforts us with its easy-going notes of marzipan and dried stonefruit. As we developed this roast slightly more, this coffee brewed as a filter coffee will please those looking for a cup with lots of body and good structure.
